
DATE: Tuesday, November 25, 1997            TAG: 9711210896

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B3   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY JUNE ARNEY, STAFF WRITER 

                                            LENGTH:  110 lines

EVIDENCE OF ARSON OFTEN GOES UP IN SMOKE BUT THE ARREST RATE IN HAMPTON ROADS IS HIGHER THAN THE NATIONAL RATE

When fire investigators begin an arson case, they know they face a challenge. Their odds of solving the crime are slim.

Evidence such as fingerprints, burn patterns and other clues often are consumed by the flames or damaged by the water used to suppress the fire.

In Virginia Beach alone, there are several recent, high-profile cases in point: the 1995 Princess Anne High School fire, a blaze that virtually destroyed Farmer's Market last year, two fires at the offices of The TAF Group.

``We come in after the fire department has been there for an hour, pumping thousands of gallons of water on the crime scene, and we have to sift through the debris to find the evidence that would support our criminal case,'' said Capt. Stanley Foster, who heads up the fire investigations division for the Virginia Beach Fire Department. ``You have to be highly motivated to do what we do.''

Although the national arrest rate, or ``clearance'' rate, is between 13 and 17 percent, clearance rates in South Hampton Roads are considerably higher, according to local experts.

In 1995, the most recent year for which complete figures are available, there were arrests in 169 of 675 arson cases in South Hampton Roads, according to calculations based on FBI statistics. That's an an arrest rate of 25 percent.

``We have a higher clearance rate because of the support we get from the cities,'' Foster said.

Here, local fire investigators - who have arrest powers - work closely with other fire and police departments and agencies, said Greg Orfield, an investigator in the Chesapeake fire marshal's office.

Fire investigators have banded together to form the Tidewater Regional Arson Panel, which can assemble dozens of trained investigators at a scene within an hour, said Orfield, the group's president. Those participating come from departments as far north as Williamsburg, as far west as Franklin, and south to the North Carolina line.

``We went through a period about a year ago when we had a large number of arson fires and large dollar amounts of loss in the fires,'' Foster said. ``That's what got everybody's attention.''

Among those that remain unsolved, several are in Virginia Beach:

The Princess Anne High School fire on Sept. 1, 1995, which caused more than $7 million in damage.

A July 3 fire at The TAF Group, which caused more than $2 million in damage. TAF is a multi-purpose architectural, engineering and construction company. The blaze was the second fire at the firm's headquarters in 2 1/2years.

The most recent TAF fire has been linked to several others in construction businesses in the area, including one in Chesapeake, authorities said recently.

The Farmer's Market fire on Aug. 22, which caused $750,000 in damage to the 20-year-old landmark, destroyed eight businesses, and damaged the center's office and a restaurant. No one has been charged with arson.

A fire that burned a $1.6 million waterfront house in the Birdneck Point neighborhood to the ground on Aug. 7, 1992. At the time, investigators called the fire arson, but they never made an arrest. In a lawsuit, two insurance companies have accused the owners of setting the fire, though they were never criminally charged. The suit is set for trial in February.

Foster said the area has had some copycat cases. One occurred after an August 1996 fire at Princess Anne Elementary School. A city employee later was convicted in connection with that fire. The copycat fire at Windsor Oaks Elementary School destroyed three portable classrooms. Four juveniles have been punished in that fire.

Arson cases involving juveniles represent about half the area's total and generally are easier to solve than those involving adults, experts say.

``Adults who are arsonists have the tendency to keep it to themselves,'' Foster said. ``But when juveniles set fires, they do brag - and that's where the community can help. . . Little Johnny is going to brag because he's going to be the big man at school.''

Virginia Beach has assigned an investigator full time to cases involving juveniles.

Arsons by juveniles have been increasing for about five years, according to Orfield. Juvenile arsonists are usually spurred by vandalism and spite or revenge, Orfield said.

Most juvenile offenders, about 9 in 10, are boys, Orfield said. But among adults, women offenders are slightly more common. He estimated that one in seven or eight arsonists is a woman.

For adult males, fraud and spite or revenge are the most common motivations, he said. Arson of a dwelling - the most serious category of arson - is punishable by five years to life in prison, a $100,000 fine, or both.

Because of the challenges arson cases present, one day of rookie fire-fighting school is now devoted to arson awareness, Orfield said.

That training teaches young firefighters to watch for evidence that might be useful to fire investigators, and to be conservative in damaging walls that might contain valuable burn patterns, or when ripping up floors or shoveling out debris. All could contain clues to the fire's origin.

The same DNA and other technological advances that help other law enforcement agencies also can aid fire investigators, Orfield said.

Not only does arson damage property and threaten lives, it also takes away a basic sense of security, Foster said.

``An arson fire is an insult to the entire community,'' Foster said. ``A lot of times buildings can be rebuilt, but you can't replace the history and the memories.'' MEMO: Staff Writer Naomi Aoki contributed to this report. ILLUSTRATION: Chart

JOHN CORBITT, The Virginian-Pilot

Arson in South Hampton Roads

For chart information see microfilm

Photos

MOTOYA NAKAMURA, The Virginian-Pilot

Fire...Princess Anne High School, Sept. 1, 1995...

DAVID B. HOLLINGSWORTH, The Virginian-Pilot

Farmer's Market fire on Aug. 22, 1996...