During a five-year period, close to one-quarter of the wildland fires that were reported in the U.S. were deemed arson.
The U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) announced that the theme for Arson Awareness Week, May 1-7, is "Prevent Wildfire Arson — Spread the Facts Not the Fire."
"Not all wildland is comprised of forests. In many places, the wildland is grassy plains resulting in the evolution of the term 'forest fire' to the more accurate 'wildfire,'" according to the USFA.
Over 72,000 U.S. communities are now at risk from wildfire, according to The National Association of State Foresters.
The focus for this year's outreach is to explain the common motives for committing wildfire arson, highlight wildland fire training and wildfire prevention resources and identify successful arson reward programs in communities throughout the U.S.