A BRIEF OUTLINE RELATES THE NATURE OF ARSON STATUTES AS GENERALLY FOUND IN STATE LAWS ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND DESCRIBES THE EARLIEST RECOGNITION OF ARSON AS A COMMON LAW FELONY. SPECIFIC PROBLEMS THAT HAVE EVOLVED IN DEALING WITH ARSON ARE THEN IDENTIFIED, WITH ATTENTION TO INTERAGENCY CONFUSION, DIVIDED RESPONSIBILITIES, ILL-DEFINED ROLES, AND MISTAKES IN REPORTING. PROBLEMS AFFECTING INDIVIDUAL PARTIES INVOLVED IN THE ENTIRE PROCESS OF FIGHTING ARSON ARE DESCRIBED, INCLUDING THE FIRE CHIEF AND THE POLICE OFFICER, THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY, THE JURY, THE CRIME LAB TECHNICIAN, THE JUDGE, THE INSURANCE COMPANY ADJUSTER, THE NEWSPAPER REPORTER, AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC. CONSIDERATION IS ALSO GIVEN TO PROBLEMS AFFECTING THE FIRE SERVICE AS A WHOLE, TO THE FIRE DEPARTMENTS' RESPONSIBILITIES, TO PROBLEMS RELATED TO LAW ENFORCEMENT, AND TO THE IMPORTANCE OF COLLABORATION IN INVESTIGATIONS. SOLUTIONS ARE SUGGESTED TO THESE PROBLEMS SUCH AS THE RECLASSIFICATION OF ARSON FROM A PART II TO A PART I OFFENSE. A SUMMARY OF THE RECOMMENDATION IS PRESENTED, ALONG WITH A SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE ON ARSON AND A BIBLIOGRAPHY. (MHP)