Anybody else think a lot of those fires in NO are purposely set by owners

[bribri16]

to be sure to able to collect insurance which they wouldn't be able to do otherwise? there just seems to be too many fires in an area with few people, little or no power...?

[electropop]

1. Set by Feds to burn bodies.

Got to hide 'em somehow.

[lebkuchen]

2. absolutely for insurance

NO was always a city "on the take." Lots of corruption.

[Ms. Clio]

3. Could be; I read here last night that people did the same thing after the

1906 SF earthquake.

[Not Me]

4. Standard homeowner's insurance covers fire and theft...but not

floods. Flood insurance is available from a separate federal program, and I gotta' believe the rates for NO were steep...causing a lot of people to forego the coverage if not required by their mortgage bank.

[Benbow]

5. Isn't it more likely to be the result of

(a) gas leaks, and/or
(b) electrical power being restored to some parts of the city?

[Ms. Clio]

7. Sure, could be all of the above n/t

and other reasons, besides.

[me b zola]

6. I have been thinking this from the first fires

In addition. The chemical plant that exploded. I think that halliburton doesn't want the expense of having to do a proper chemical clean up, so they burned it.

[Duer 157099]

8. Not sure how this works, but

wouldn't the insurance companies then be able to say that, at the time the fire started (post-flood, post-hurricane) that the damage was already done and so the property was worthless anyway?

How does insurance work in cases like this, anyway?

[elehhhhna]

9. hello, of course. if you don't have flood ins. a fire'll fix ya good.

[bribri16]

10. With all those firefighters in NO, notice none are at most of the fires?

What's thal all about. Only the rich can pull of fraud, larceny, and looting and get away with it. How many of the luxary homes are on fire now?

[Mr_Jefferson_24]

11. Almost certainly for...

...insurance collection purposes. A competent professional arsonist uses powerful accelerants that can make quick work of a fairly large structure. This is how you tell the ones done by the owner from those done by a pro. There's very little left with the pro.