European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - February 25, 1981, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Arson in by Timothy Harper associated press the fire at the Las vegas Hilton hotel was not the Only Case of arson in the United states on there were 400 there will be 400 More today and 400 More arson is an epidemic in this said de who teaches investigative techniques at the govern ments National fire Academy in americans Are setting fire to their Homes and even their in record prompting new anti arson efforts by government agencies and private yet arson remains one of the toughest crimes for authorities to snuff the fire administration said an arsonist has less than one Chance in 10 of being a and less than one in 100 of being in the last year for which Complete statistics Are there were known cases of arson in the and tens of thousands of other fires which May have been started the National fire Protection association in Boston said those fires caused 675 a estimated injuries and billion in smoke and fire and that does not include the Forest service estimate that Brush and Forest arson cases caused million in damage to the nations wild lands last the fire administration said the average arson caused in property damage in nearly twice that of a non arson and figures still being compiled for 1980 Are undoubtedly authorities Bruce Bogart of the american insurance association in new York said reported arson cases have increased by about 25 percent each year of the past the biggest increase has been in there were cases of arson in automobiles in up 33 he people have these big old clunkers they cant so they Burn pm aside from actual damage to Bogart arson has the most serious economic Ripple effect of any he said sales and taxes lost to arson probably total billion to billion a for he the loss of several Hundred Las vegas Hilton guest rooms for three months of repairs will probably Cost the hotel million just in and what about hotel employees who will be Laid off he the Las vegas Hilton fire killed eight injured 198 others and caused an estimated million in dam Philip Bruce a Hilton room service bus up police helicopter hovers in front of Las vegas Hilton the Day after fire raged through largest hotel in the has been booked on one count of first degree arson and eight counts of Doug a claims consultant for the american insurance said member insurance Compa Nies recently spent million for a computerized system to investigate fire he said the system turns up any earlier fires at the same undisclosed insurance policies and the names of people who have a history of collecting insurance on the system costs to million a year to but its Worth it to the insurance Burdick in terms of it Doest take Long for millions to John an arson specialist for the fire administration in said almost half the nations arson cases Are blamed on usually by teenagers who set fires to apartment buildings and he said on fifth of All arson cases involve spite or an example would be the disgruntled employee or exem Loyee who torches the factory or office build Lynch said arson for profit is blamed in Only 14 per cent of All deliberately started but is responsible for half the property damage from arson because it is often More thorough and in 7 percent of the nations arson the motive is concealing a previous such As a burglary or a he the Catchall term for the mental defect of the classic is responsible for 14 percent of Lynch said pyromania includes vanity such As a fire set by a night watchman who reports it or puts it put and is then hailed As a the Man arrested in Las told a newspaper reporter at the hotel that he had been the first to sound the fire alarm and begin evacuating Lynch credited the Quick arrest to Las vegas arson task one of 200 set up around the the government helps train personnel and organize cooperation among fire and police prosecutors and citizen until when we set up our task arson Here was said Robert chief arson investigator for the fire department in which formed one of the first task in the last 5v4 he arson arrests and convictions have gone up and instances of arson have gone a Large problem with Davis is that people dont want to get but now that they Are More and were having More training sessions and weve become More professional and we can present a better Case to the business As usual by Patrick Arnold associated press Las a glittering resort spends millions of dollars on publicity to attract the vacationers and conventioneers who visit it each but Money  buy the worldwide publicity much of it Adverse caused in less than three months by the two devastating fires at major hotels that claimed a total of 92 lives and left nearly 900 persons eight persons died and 192 were injured in the latest at the Las vegas Hilton less than three months on 84 people died and nearly 700 were injured when a fire roared through the Casino at the Mem grand sending Clouds of deadly smoke through the High Rise despite the Mem grand fire there have been no Lack of guests to fill the cites hotel and Motel rooms 035 of them at last official the with was about 75 percent full on a tuesday night when the fire broke hotels report some cancellations in the Wake of the Hilton As they did following the Mem grand but Overall it appeared to be business As usual for the weekend after the Hilton As usual on a were hard to find without Advance a Blu ribbon commission appointed by Bob list to study the states fire safety Laws following the Mem grand fire has come up with a list of 11 recommend the proposed new which include retroactive sprinkler systems in Casino and High Rise will be finalized at a 27 meeting and turned Over to who will in turn present them to the legislature for what were doing Here would hopefully be the Lead for the rest of the commission chairman Kenny who termed the recommendations aggressive and the proposed new codes would be required on All High february 1981 Rise buildings both existing structures and those yet to be built Over 55 feet in All Public Assembly areas of More than Square feet would be required to have fire sprinkler but whether the legislature would give Quick approval to the recommendations or make them retroactive remained to be its a bit difficult to say what the legislature will said assemblyman Jim Las i do feel that any preventive measures that we can consider in the legislature that would really be helpful and regulating should be but Cliff said he Felt the code question should be left to the first of All i strongly oppose the legislature Mandat ing those i think its a local he i agree it should be done but i dont think the legislature should Tell people to do i think it might receive support for but it might not pass because its a local the stars and stripes Page 13