The headlines tell the tale - one person carrying an igniter, accelerant and malicious intent has the power to destroy homes, lives and families.
Prince George has been reeling from a string of suspected arsons these past few months, with the situation culminating in the tragic death of an elderly man this week. And while 49-year-old Frank William Marion has been arrested in that lethal blaze, the other fires remain under investigation.
As investigators continue to piece together the events that led up to the tragedy, the community is left asking, what could possibly compel someone to do something so horrible?
Understanding the compulsion to burn won't ease any of the victims' suffering, but experts always hope that learning about the behaviour could help identify and, if not eliminate, at least prevent some future cases.
Motives for arson are diverse and often impossible to determine simply by examining the wreckage criminals leave behind. Sometimes it's for financial gain, sometimes it's meant as a weapon to hurt or kill, sometimes it's a means of venting for someone who's emotionally unstable.
And when it's a series of senseless acts, attributed to a so-called "firebug," arson seems all the more sinister and awful.
Nothing has yet been revealed about the suspect in Prince George, but tracking the history of arsonists has led to discernible patterns.
A recent example in California of a man linked to a multi-million dollar arson spree shows just how disastrous one person's psychological disorder can become.
Harry Burkhart faces 37 charges relating to 50 fires in California, and he's also being investigated for arson in Germany where his family owned a home.
He's far from convicted of these charges, but with a history of mental illness - a Vancouver doctor diagnosed Burkhart with autism, severe anxiety, post traumatic stress disorder, depression and a sleeping condition - we wonder how many people picked up on a possibility that Burkhart might be dangerously unstable.
And was there more that could've done to address this potential before it came to a head?
Experts already know that juvenile fire setters - those between the ages of 13 and 17 - are often socially inept, come from broken homes, have learning disabilities and are hyperactive.
Juvenile fire setters are also prone to a higher than average number of accidents that result in physical injury and display a higher level of risk taking. They will also display defiant, angry behaviour, lack emotional depth and exhibit antisocial behaviour.
Sounds like many teenagers out there, a minute minority of which exhibit that unhealthy interest in burning. Just as a minority of adults with the mental disorders mentioned above have a destructive or violent compulsion.
Which brings us back to the desperate question: how do we prevent further horrible deaths?
It's a question that's sure to plague authorities, and haunt the family and friends of both Jagdev Singh Jawanda and the man who took his life.
-- Prince George Citizen
