There are burning forests, meadows and fields in many places in Hesse these days.

However, a series of fires around Hanau and in the Offenbach district is particularly explosive.

One of the most recent major fires broke out just a few days ago in an area of ​​around 60,000 square meters in the city forest in Hanau-Großauheim.

It had previously burned in other places nearby.

Because of the similar circumstances and the additional knowledge that the police fire investigators have gained, there is a lot of evidence to suggest arson.

The police have been looking for a suspect for days – a man who is said to have been cycling in the forest at the time of the crime, wearing only his swimming trunks.

But who are these people who set fires?

What drives you?

From the point of view of criminologists, a similar pattern can often be seen in the personality of these perpetrators.

Michaela Schätz is a graduate psychologist with a focus on clinical psychology at the Center for Criminology and Police Research in Berlin.

She has been working with criminals for more than 20 years.

For many years she has also come into contact with arsonists in her work.

Based on this experience, she is now primarily active in prognosis and shares her clinical experience with criminalists who face a “truly enormous challenge” in solving arson, as Schätz puts it.

Motives for arson

According to the criminologist's findings, the motives for arson are basically no different from those for other crimes.

According to Schätz, many arsonists describe an inner tension that results from “ultimately normal psychological phenomena”: trouble at work, lovesickness or a subjectively experienced insult, to name just a few examples.

"Arsonists just can't deal with it in a socially appropriate way." In addition, however, there is a relationship to fire that "pathologically exceeds the normal joy of fire".

Perpetrators often experienced in their childhood or youth that fire produces a special effect and then used the flames to satisfy their needs.

The internal pressure is discharged by setting fires, which means there is a high probability of serial crimes.

According to her, Schätz has often heard statements such as: "When I heard the click of the lighter and saw the flames licking up, it literally lifted my heart and I could breathe deeply again." But almost everyone has a fascination for fire - in all its facets.

"I repeatedly meet men who describe fire in all its colors, sounds and smells with real devotion." But many are also interested in sensationalism, "to observe the excitement, the extinguishing work and the reporting".

Revenge and the desire to be a hero often played a role.

For example, if someone with an increased fascination with fire is not accepted into the voluntary fire brigade.

The fascination remains, which increases the risk of arson.

Occasionally there is the phenomenon that "firefighters start fires so that they can then extinguish them themselves".

This can occasionally also affect apparently mentally healthy men who, however, have an increased urge to assert themselves.

Many are unaware of the consequences

The perpetrators are often drunk or under the influence of other drugs such as cannabis.

The drugs lowered the inhibition threshold for offenses, says Schätz.

The desire to get rid of the felt inner tension by setting fire "can no longer be resisted in the intoxicated state".

At the same time, many arsonists are not aware of the actual consequences of their actions.

"You can't imagine the extent of the fire development." The threat of fires spreading to residential buildings would not be taken into account.

When fires then got out of control and people were injured, the arsonists were often "horrified," too.

They also do not have an eye on the dangers for the perpetrators themselves, physical, criminal and financial.

The risk of repeat offenses is therefore high, especially among “those with mental health problems”.

The treatment of arsonists therefore starts right there.

In criminal therapy, for example, work is being done to develop individual skills and resources in order to enable perpetrators to live a "socially responsible life free of punishment".

The police are continuing to investigate the recent arson attacks around Hanau.

Perhaps the decisive clue will soon emerge.