Fire officials remind public that arson is a serious crime

May 6, 2025

Emily Goodwin,

JACKSON, Tenn. – Amid Arson Awareness Week, the Tennessee Advisory Committee on Arson (TACA) is reminding residents to report to officials any information they may have on someone committing arson.

Fires caused by arson can lead to air pollution, long-term environmental damage, and destruction of property.

TACA president-elect Jeremy Woods said arson is not a victimless crime and can put others in danger as well as drive up insurance prices.

With over 30,000 reported arsons each years, Woods said the damage adds up to over one billion dollars.

“Arson is not only a property crime. It is also a financial crime. Most people have insurance and that affects all of us,” said Woods.

Setting abandoned buildings and other property on fire may seem harmless, but Woods said it can present danger for individuals.

He said when an arson is committed, it requires firefighters to respond and the response alone could put firefighters and the general public in danger when they get on the road to respond to the fire. In addition, the firefighters put their lives in danger to fight the fire with abandoned buildings and even grass fires. Fires also release toxins into the air that can cause long term health effects on others.

“It’s all the things and the liability and the people that are put in danger every time we have to go out in the fire trucks,” said Woods.

Arson is a serious crime and could lead to immense financial loss and long prison sentences if someone is convicted. In Tennessee, with the correct information, if you turn someone in for arson then you could earn a cash award for up to $5,000.

“The Arson Hotline is 1-800-762-3017 and it is answered 24-hours a day, 7 days a week, and 365 days a year,” said Woods.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has Accelerant Detection K9 teams that work with law enforcement to help detect when an accelerant has been used to cause a fire.