County battles arson
Editor’s note: Fayette County long has been a hotbed for arson activity and has one of its cities, Connellsville, embroiled in a high-profile arson investigation. This story is the second in a two-part series looking at the arson problem, its potential causes and the people fighting it.CONNELLSVILLE – City fire investigator Sgt. Vincent Traynor last week logged another arson-related fire to his already lengthy list. This time, someone set fire to an exterior door at the Wesley United Methodist Church. The door was destroyed and a portion of the carpeting inside the doorway will have to be replaced.
The city has suffered through 27 arsons since October 2003, and Traynor has been called upon 27 times to assist in the investigations, in addition to his other duties.
“It’s taking its toll on every person in this department,” he said. “It’s always in the back of your mind. We all would like to solve this.”
Traynor declined to discuss the specifics of the ongoing investigations being conducted by the city department and the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), but agreed to share what he has learned in his 19 years with the police force and as a 21-year member of the New Haven Hose Volunteer Fire Co. Traynor received his certification as an origin and cause investigator in 2002.
Arsons are one of the most difficult crimes to solve, because in most cases the person setting the fire is not seen and evidence is destroyed, said Traynor.
Experts list several motivating factors that drive arsonists: out of spite or revenge, to conceal another crime, for vanity reasons or for thrills.
Traynor said an act of terrorism that causes fire is now categorized as arson-related.
“The ones that do it for spite or revenge are the most dangerous,” said Traynor, adding that the loss of life or property rarely is a concern of the fire setter.
Some use the cover of fire to hide a burglary or another crime, while others set a fire to have the opportunity to report it to emergency responders or “save” those still in the building or home.
The thrill seeker, said Traynor, has the tendency to start small.
“We consider those to be the pyromaniacs, the ones who enjoy watching fires burn,” he said. “They start with small fires such as setting a Dumpster on fire. When they no longer get a thrill from watching the small fires, they tend to move on to larger targets.”
Investigators have said that more than one person is intentionally setting the fires in the city.
Traynor investigates fires similarly, regardless of the size, beginning with photographs of the area and discussions with firefighters at the scene.
“My first duty is to find out where and why it started,” he said.
Traynor said he first examines the areas farthest from where he believes the fire has started and works his way back to the speculated point of origin.
The next step is to seek out what might have caused the fire to ignite.
“You look at whether it is an occupied or unoccupied structure, what’s in this room or what should be in this room,” he said. “Are there candles or other accidental sources that might have caused the fire?
“What’s here that could cause my fire?”
Another contributing factor that must be considered in the investigation is the path of the fire, which, Traynor said, can be affected by air or a hole in a roof made by firefighters to help gain access.
Traynor said that before determining that a fire is arson-related, the investigator must look at utility sources, malfunctioning electronic or heating devices, or if the cause could be accidental in nature, such as a child playing with matches.
“In order to get to arson, you have to rule out all the other accidental causes that might be there,” he said. “You can’t just walk in and say the fire was intentionally set.”
Cause determinations are not as difficult when a fire takes place at an unoccupied structure, said Traynor, adding that in most cases, utilities have been disconnected.
Several unoccupied structures in the city have been intentionally set on fire.
There have been occasions, said Traynor, when no definitive cause can be found, and in those instances, it is deemed as an undetermined cause.
“Sometimes you can’t put a fire scene back together,” he said. “The walls fall inside; the third floor falls onto the second floor and that falls into first floor and you can’t get to where the fire started.”
In arson cases, said Traynor, the most difficult part of the investigation is determining who lit the match to start the fire.
“When I arrive and find a few pieces of trash that have been burned and a porch has been damaged, it’s easy to make a ruling,” he said. “The hard part is finding out who did it.”
Unlike burglaries or drug-related crimes, arson is difficult to clear from the investigator’s caseload.
“If someone commits a burglary and takes some jewelry or television, he’s going to have to take it to a pawn shop to get rid of it or exchange it for drugs,” said Traynor. “It starts a paper trail.
“You don’t have a paper trail with arsons, unless it’s for some type of financial gain. We might be able to trace a fire back to someone who recently increased his insurance without the recommendation of his insurance carrier or someone who might have defaulted on a mortgage or claimed bankruptcy.”
In most cases, said Traynor, arsonists work alone and are unlikely to confide in someone about the fire, which contributes to the difficulty of solving the crime.
Traynor is optimistic that the city’s arson cases will be resolved, but he said it will take the public’s assistance to find those responsible.
“The police cannot be everywhere,” he said. “We need the residents to be observant and have the courage to call and report what or who they see.
“It might not be the right piece of the puzzle at the time, but put together with other pieces of information, we might be able to track down those that are committing these crimes.”