WASHINGTON — When someone sets a fire on purpose, it puts communities at risk and costs us all.
May 4-10 is National Arson Awareness Week, and this year, the focus is on vehicle arson.
The Maryland Fire Marshal’s Office says that vehicle arsonists have many motivations, including insurance fraud and covering up a crime.
The effects are nationwide: If someone on the other side of the country sets a car on fire, your insurance premiums could be affected.
The U.S. Fire Administration says that 7 percent of U.S. car fires in a two-year period were deliberately set. In Maryland, 5 percent of last year’s car fires were arson.
Read more about vehicle arson motivations and prevention tips on the U.S. Fire Administration’s website.
WTOP’s Kate Ryan contributed to this report. Follow @WTOP on Twitter and WTOP on Facebook.
