Arson

Arson is the illegal act of willfully and deliberately setting fire to or charring property. A person who commits arson is referred to as an arsonist, or a serial arsonist if the person has committed arson several times. Although the act of arson typically involves buildings, the term can also refer to the intentional burning of other things, such as motor vehicles, watercraft, or forests.

Arson is considered distinct from pyromania, an impulse control disorder characterized by an obsession with fire. Most acts of arson are not committed by pyromaniacs. Reckless burning is legally distinct from arson in some jurisdictions, but generally refers to cases where an individual causes a fire which results in death, destruction of property, or injury, through negligence or inattention.

Arsonists may set fires during riots, civil unrest, ethnic cleansing or war. An arsonist may commit the crime as an act of war, terrorism, for financial gain (i.e., insurance fraud or arson-for-profit), emotional satisfaction (i.e., firefighter arson, personal entertainment, retribution, or revenge), or in the concealment of another crime like robbery or homicide. Fires are generally set using an accelerant (such as gasoline or kerosene) to ignite, propel, and direct the flames. The detection and identification of ignitable liquid residues is an important part of fire investigations.