European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - August 23, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Houston tops nation in arson for profit by Robert Reinhoid new York times w Hon role flt Lowery s Home i suburban Houston burned to the ground last december he Loid a dramatic Slor yol being robbed Al gunpoint by a Manv to Ihnn set Iho House afire destroying a neighbor s Home in the or occur. Hams county authorities grew suspicious Lowery a 32-year-old building contactor had sulfa Eccl business troubles that had put him heavily into Clebit and under lax liens by he in canal Revenue service the other Day he was indicted it arson joining the growing ranks of Hou lonians accused of trying to Burn their Way out of financial problems. Arson end insurance fraud can happen anywhere and until recently thy have been concentrated in Northern cities that have suffered Sharp economic Rei reals. Now Layouts bankruptcies business failures and Home foreclosures Are at record Levels in Many parts of Texas Louisiana and other Energy producing areas a result of the near collapse of the american Oil and Gas Industry and insurance and firs officials say the Houston area has become the nation s lots spot for arson of profit. Alarmed by mounting fire losses Over the last three years the Aetna life and casualty co of Hallord. Conn which had insured Lowery s House and its contents for $325.000. Sent is a Perls to Houston to hold a seminar to Holp local Dro departments and insurance investigators detect and proven arson what we arc seeing now Are legitimate people who would never have dreamed of burning their Homes said John s. Barracato a retired new York City Deputy chief fire marshal who is director of Aetna s arson and fraud unit. Charles pm. Mckeithen the local Aetna claims manager agreed. Five years ago when properly values were going up arson of private dwelling was relatively insignificant Here a said. Now values Are going Down and people Are losing their jobs. If the mortgage company repossessed a Guy s House he loses his equity. Unfortunately the insurance company is the Only Market for him the problem has stretched the resources of the Houston fire department to the limit. According to assistant chief Eddie Corral there Are typically nine cases of arson a Day in the City and arson accounts for one of every 10 Calls firefighters answer. Arson had been going Down steadily until 1983, when the local Economy first began to suffer heavily from failing Oil prices. Corral said it is up 10 percent this year Over the same period last year. The chief or me Houston arson squad Robert Mackey said he badly needed to add to his staff of 72 but saw Little Chance Given the City s fiscal difficulties which have forced layoffs of City workers. Aetna says its fire loss claims in Houston were 280 in 1984 and Are expected to reach 352 this year. Mckeithen estimated that 30 to 40 percent of the cases Are arsons up from 20 percent five years ago. The problem of arson fraud relatively common in declining Northern cities is a recent phenomenon in once booming Southern cities like Houston where hard limes have been unknown since the depression. Aetna says its arson Load is also mounting in Tattas As its Economy falters amid a general slump in Texas. The temptation to Burn has become irresistible to Many desperate hous Lomans Are officials say unemployment has reached a Post depression High 01 12 5 percent meanwhile property values in most parts of town have dropped 30 percent or More Over the last two years or  people thus find themselves without income and owning Homes that Are now Worth far less than the outstanding mortgage debt meaning owners face ruinous losses if they sell. Collecting tha insurance seems the Only alternative to Many. It s a terrible temptation said Kirk Mcdaniel an Aetna investigation supervisor. He said he expected Little improvement soon. The largest concentration of suspected residential arson is on Houston s Low income East Side but it is spreading to More a 1 enl areas in the southwestern and Western parts of town. The Houston fire department cites a growing number of commercial tires set to conceal fraudulent business dealings. An indicator that normally Law abiding people Are turning to anon is the Amateur Tynett of Many urea. Currently under investigation is the burning of a financial consulting concern in which the authorities believe two men were hired 1o destroy the company s records by fire. Two suspects were injured in the attempt. In addition a recent fire that originated in a radio Sha outlet in the memorial City shopping Center on Houston s West Side is believed to have been set. A sure indication that normally Law abiding people Are turning to arson according to Corral is the amateurish Ness of Many fires. In one Case a student and his wife three months behind m their Home payments and facing imminent foreclosure Laid out a trailer of wadded newspaper throughout the House to carry the fire firefighters saved the House and found the incendiary paper. The Wile confessed and the couple were convicted and put on probation. People cannot pay for things Corral said they see arson As their Only  bringing wildlife Back to health by Glenn Adams associated press a Young Deer hit by a sports car. A baby woodchuck orphaned by a Hunter. A red of with crippled legs. All found Refuge in Jean  s Jungle in Lichfield Maine named for Gene and Jean Thompson has been the last Hope for hundreds of creatures that could t survive in the wild. The Thompsons run a wildlife Hospital boarding Home at their own expense preparing food cleaning cages and nursing ailing animals seven or More hours a Day. Every Day of the year. In the eight years the retired couple has been rehabilitating animals they Havo Only taken Lime Oil once for their daughter s wedding said mrs Thompson As she strolled about the menagerie she said her satisfaction comes trom bringing animals Bach to health it s a thrill to see them go we cry a  some refuse to leave when their cages Are Kirbt opened but eventually Allol those that can survive go they let you know when they re ready she said. Some come Back to visit a red tailed Hawk that recuperated from a gunshot wound did a Fly Over this Spring about seven months after we released him said Thompson. But a few animals be a three legged Deer that was rescued by a woodsman and a Fox whose legs were probably Bent by rickets will Likely live out their Days in Captivity if we know they won t survive we won t let them  mrs. Thompson said. But she and her husband do not try to tame the animals which Aro brought to them by game wardens woodsmen motorists and others. Neither of the Thompsons is formally trained As a veterinarian but Thompson said he has Learned How to set Bones clean infections and repair broken wings. A lot of it is common sense said his Wile we be raised three children and five Foster children so we know something about  Jean s Jungla got started when a Friend gave them a Fawn to care for. We raised the first one and that was  said mrs. Thompson As she prepared a Deer salad of chopped Squash potatoes and cucumbers topped by a couple of apples. We be raised s5  she used to Hunt and still likes to take target practice but no longer shoots anything living. The Thompsons spend about $50 a week in feed and also buy Chicken parts liver hamburger dog and cat food and fruits and vegetables for their animals. The state contributes Road kills which Supply a Small portion of the animals food. Maine s Inland fisheries and wildlife department regulates the More than 70 wildlife rehabilitation centers in the stale. Saturday August 23, 1986 the stars and stripes Page 17