Call for laws to allow firefighters investigate suspicious blazes

LEGISLATION should be introduced to allow firefighters to specifically investigate suspicious blazes for any signs of insurance-related arson.

Chief Fire Officers’ Association (CFOA) chairman Michael Raftery made the comment after Central Statistics Office (CSO) and anecdotal evidence suggested a rise in questionable incidents since Ireland’s economic difficulties began.

Speaking on the final day of the group’s annual conference in Meelick, Co Clare, the senior official said under current structures, Gardaí are contacted to examine any fires considered suspicious.

However, pointing to legal changes in Britain and other countries in recent years, the CFOA chairman said the increase in suspected insurance-related arson cases means firefighters with specialist knowledge of blazes should be given more powers to become involved in such inquiries.

“It would need to be subject to resources of course because it is not a thing we can do easily. But if you look at England the last review of the fire and rescue act made it a responsibility for fire officers to investigate those cases,” Mr Raftery said.

“It was a very clear provision in that review, mainly because fire officers are the people who come to fires regularly. I’m not saying this in a negative way about Gardaí, but we are skilled in looking at this issue and we have plenty of data now on what is happening around the country.

“In England they’ve set up joint teams, with the police having overall control of the investigation because there could be criminal charges, and that’s something I think would make the most sense here,” he added.

In the past two years, a number of questionable fires have occurred in private buildings, with a series of Garda investigations taking place into the reasons behind the blazes.

Fraudulent insurance claims of any kind are believed to cost the insurance sector more than €100 million every year – a bill which is passed on to policy holders through their premium payments.

While claims are assessed on a case by case basis by the insurance firm which is responsible for paying out on the claim, when it is unclear how the fire started or spread so quickly through a building, business or construction site, Gardaí can also become involved.

According to the CSO, the number of arsons in Ireland increased by 31% between the first six months of 2008 and the same period just one year later. Between January and June 2008 a total of 1,162 fires occurred, a figure which rose to 1,524 just 12 months later, in 2009.

International figures also support the belief that fraudulent fire insurance claims increase during a recession.

A recent study published by firefighters in Detroit last year indicated that the number of suspect blazes in the region increased from 15% of all cases in 2006 to 45% in 2008.