Arson During Civil Unrest, An Unjustifiable Crime
New Orleans, LA- May 2nd- 8th, 2021 is National Arson Awareness Week. This year’s theme is “Arson During Civil Unrest, An Unjustifiable Crime”. Fortunately, this year’s theme doesn’t directly reflect the relationship between New Orleanians, Law Enforcement and other governmental authorities. Unlike many other major metropolitan areas, our community hasn’t experienced the level of intense protests that can be described as “civil unrest”. We should all be thankful to live in a community where residents can feel free to disagree, without being riotously disagreeable. In this spirit, the New Orleans Fire Department (NOFD) would like to focus on fire setting behaviors that are more prevalent in our community:
Vacant Structures
Vacant structure fires are a leading issue in New Orleans for a number of reasons:
- Vacant and blighted buildings remain post Hurricane Katrina.
- Homeless and transient population squatting in vacant structures.
- Building construction of wood-framed homes in the area.
- Termite damaged wood degrades structural integrity of buildings.
Vacant Fire Statistics
- Between 2011-2015 U.S. fire departments responded to estimated 30,200 vacant structure fires per year.
- Estimated average of 3,310 firefighters’ injuries per year occurred in vacant building fires between 2011-2015.
You can make your community safer by:
- As a property owner, securely board up and regularly check on uninhabited dwellings.
- Report squatting and other suspicious traffic in and out of blighted and uninhabited properties to the appropriate authorities.
Abandoned Automobile Fires
Abandoned vehicle fires are also common in our area although the frequency and location vary:
- Abandoned automobiles are often intentionally set on fire typically to defraud insurance companies and to destroy potential evidence of crimes that may have been committed.
We can help prevent abandoned vehicle fires by:
- Reporting suspicious and abandoned vehicles to the police.
- Vehicles that are intentionally set on fire are often reported as stolen.
- Make certain your vehicle is secured and never leave keys in a vehicle or leave it running when not occupied.
Youth (Juvenile) Fire Setting
Children are often curious about fire. While curiosity is normal, there are
things you can do to prevent your child from experimenting with fire.
Teach your child:
- Fire is dangerous.
- Even small fires can spread very quickly.
- Fire is a tool, not a toy, and must only be used by adults.
You can make your home safer by:
- Inspecting it for fire hazards.
- Keeping lighters and matches away from children.
- Supervising children.
- Having working smoke alarms on every level and inside and outside all
sleeping areas.
- Planning and practicing your home fire escape plan.
If you feel that your child is at a higher risk of experimenting with fire, contact the NOFD at 504-658-4713. The NOFD promotes and conducts several Fire Safety programs, including a juvenile fire setter intervention program, to help teach your child about fire safety.