Late last month, a building explosion in New York City killed two people and injured dozens more. The explosion ended up leveling three different buildings. But what was the cause of this tragedy? While the investigation is still ongoing, it appears that a gas leak was behind everything. Months ago, residents of the building said… Read more »
Category: Illinois fire investigations
How to Escape from a Fire
We sincerely hope you are never the victim of arson or any other type of fire, but if you do find yourself in house that is engulfed in flames, there are a few things you should know in order to escape. While some fires become so out of control people have no place to go,… Read more »
What Do Arson Investigators Look For?
While a fire caused by an arsonist may appear and act just like any other fire, there are a few telltale signs that arson investigators look for after the flames have been put out. The amount of evidence varies from case to case, but even the most careful of arsonists will leave behind clues. As… Read more »
Inside an Arsonist’s Mind
What does an arsonist look like? Often we assume that arsonists have a mental disorder, as the crime is so full of passion, but true pyromaniacs are astonishingly rare. Understanding motives for arson is the best way to understand arsonists. Here are some of the most common motives. First is thrill seeking. Those arsonists… Read more »
How to Become an Arson Investigator
The process to taking up the duties of an arson investigator can be long, but well worth it. We all know they are part detective and part fire scientist but that doesn’t mean you just need to know some detecting skills and some knowledge on fire. Most agencies that hire arson investigators can let you… Read more »
Explosion and Fire in Tampa, Florida
At 5:45am last Wednesday, a 911 call went through claiming that there was an explosion and a fire in Avila, an exclusive residential resort in Tampa, Florida. Four bodies were discovered in the house – two adults and two teenagers. Due to the nature of crimes of arson, identifying circumstances surrounding homicide and suicide takes… Read more »
NYC Has Seen a Spate of Premeditated Fires
Arson is often used as a way of targeting certain groups and inflicting harm to specific organizations. That’s why there’s usually a strong connection between arson and hate crimes in most instances. Here at John Michael Agosti & Associates, we often deal with cases that unveil some of the worst sides of humanity. Even large… Read more »
Toledo Arson
Chicago is an American city that has been marred by fire in its history. Our city, home to the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, continues to see its fair share of arson and accidental fires every single year. However, in terms of modern day fire safety, Chicago is currently well ahead of other municipalities where… Read more »
Arson is a Hate Crime
Arson is often a crime of a highly personal nature. To set something on fire – there’s a sick poetry in that. It’s dramatic, it requires maintained passion to make an impression, and, often, there is a message outside of the need to destroy something that comes along with arson. So it’s not surprising… Read more »
Arson, Puppies and Las Vegas
It’s no surprise that we take arson so seriously. It is a thoroughly reprehensible crime that robs individuals of their property, their homes, and sometimes their lives. According to the FBI’s website, in 2011 the average dollar loss per arson victim was $13,196. I think we can all roundly agree that arson is no good…. Read more »
