Arson-for-profit, one of the nation's fastest growing and most costly crimes, has had an extremely low conviction rate. One of the major reasons for the inadequate law enforcement response has been absence of planning, training, and field operations material available use in arson investigations. The use of coordinated arson task forces spanning local, State and Federal agencies has been effective in controlling incendiary crime where other efforts have failed. Five major steps are required for conducting a comprehensive arson-for-profit investigation: fire scene investigation, assessment of investigative needs, formulation and evaluation of a strategic plan, implementation of that plan, and presentation of formal investigation reports to the prosecutor. Success depends heavily upon documentary evidence (business, financial, and insurance records), which may be obtained through subpoenas, search warrants, or court orders. Once obtained, the documentary evidence must be summarized, analyzed, and cross-referenced, then stored securely until the trial. Advanced investigative techniques of use in arson investigations include investigative flowcharting, consensual monitoring, link analysis, incendiary crime analysis, and computer-assisted arson investigation. Applicable Federal and State statutes and an example of an arson investigation illustrating the procedures outlined are included. Several tools are provided for investigators, such as forms for use in investigation and prosecution, a documentary evidence log, a grand jury summary, suggested news release forms, sample consensual monitoring forms, and investigation flow charts and symbol explanations. References accompany the text by chapter. A total of 10 tables and 17 figures are also included.