When you think of property crime, you probably think first of car theft, robbery or vandalism — not arson. But arson is more costly than you might realize. In fact, the FBI reports that the average dollar loss per arson was $17,406 in 2018, the most recent year for which data is available. For industrial/manufacturing structures, the average dollar loss was $100,578. The true cost of arson is even higher because those numbers don't include the potential damage to human life or the emotional toll of the crime on citizens and business owners.

To learn about the true impact of arson in Washington state and ways to reduce it, read the full article on WSRB's blog.