How Many Arsonists Get Caught?

Yet most arsonists pay no penalty for their deeds. It's estimated that only 10 percent of all arson cases are "cleared" by arrest-and that only one percent of all arsonists are convicted of the crime.

How do police find arsonists?

Even a large fire could spare a butt or the bottom end of a match, especially if a strong wind carried the fire away from its source. Investigators also look for footprints or tire marks, and they sometimes use magnets to find stray bits of metal that might have been part of a time-delayed incendiary device.

Is it hard to prove arson?

Evidence of arson is nearly impossible to preserve. Not only will the fire likely destroy physical proof but the water and chemical foam used to put out the blaze can also destroy potential evidence. Because of this, an arson investigator's most important witnesses are the firefighters that first arrive on the scene.