Wildfires have ravaged 500,000 acres of land in Australia and are blamed for more than 130 deaths so far. Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has referred to the fires as “mass murder,” insinuating that more than one fire was deliberately set. The fires seem to be an act of arson that has sent an entire country into a state of shock and panic.

Elsewhere, in the U.S. a Northeastern town is dealing with its own rash of arson attacks. Chester County, Pennsylvania has been terrorized with a horrific 33 acts of arson within the past 13 months, 18 of them since January 1. The fires have caused more than $3 million in damage and have prompted the creation of the Chester County Arson Task Force. The county has been declared a state of emergency and a curfew of 8 p.m. has been established for those under 18.

Both accidental fires and acts of arson are extremely costly in terms of dollars and also in terms of human life. The Insurance Information Institute states that “a structure fire occurs every 59 seconds, a residential fire occurs every 76 seconds and a vehicle fire occurs every 122 seconds.”

As fires continue to burn from Pennsylvania to Australia, let’s hope the arsonists are caught before another fire is set and another life is lost.

Emily Holbrook
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