Was arson-for-profit ever common in the '70s/80s Bay Area? (Oakland: 2015, rental market)

[majoun]

And specifically in Oakland, in which the same conditions that existed in the eastern and midwestern cities and which gave rise to the arson epidemic of the '70s/80s also existed? For that matter, there were SF neighborhoods where those conditions existed. Did it exist there too? Or Richmond? EPA? I've never read about the arson epidemic spreading to California - it usually but not always went along with rent control so I'd imagine it would have existed to some extent.

(Inspired by the thread about the recent Oakland fires. I wonder if that's what's behind them....)

[Ruth4Truth]

What's mysterious about the incidents in Oakland is that they involve sites under construction, not derelict buildings, rent-controlled buildings, or anything like that.

And no, I never heard about any arson epidemic around the Bay back then.

[BayAreaHillbilly]

Originally Posted by majoun

And specifically in Oakland, in which the same conditions that existed in the eastern and midwestern cities and which gave rise to the arson epidemic of the '70s/80s also existed? For that matter, there were SF neighborhoods where those conditions existed. Did it exist there too? Or Richmond? EPA? I've never read about the arson epidemic spreading to California - it usually but not always went along with rent control so I'd imagine it would have existed to some extent.

(Inspired by the thread about the recent Oakland fires. I wonder if that's what's behind them....)

There were some suspicions during the early 70s recession.

Especially when fires would hit a bit prior to quarterly tax time.

[sav858]

Originally Posted by majoun

And specifically in Oakland, in which the same conditions that existed in the eastern and midwestern cities and which gave rise to the arson epidemic of the '70s/80s also existed? For that matter, there were SF neighborhoods where those conditions existed. Did it exist there too? Or Richmond? EPA? I've never read about the arson epidemic spreading to California - it usually but not always went along with rent control so I'd imagine it would have existed to some extent.

(Inspired by the thread about the recent Oakland fires. I wonder if that's what's behind them....)

I don't think the same conditions existed. While SF and Oakland did suffer population loss, it doesn't really seem on the scale that a lot of midwester/northeastern cities experienced.

[majoun]

Originally Posted by sav858

I don't think the same conditions existed. While SF and Oakland did suffer population loss, it doesn't really seem on the scale that a lot of midwester/northeastern cities experienced.

In SF, not to the same extent, although there was a wave of arsons in the Mission and North Beach: Hot Rental Market Raises Suspicions of Arson | Al Jazeera America

The Al Jazeera article mentions Berkeley in the '80s but not Oakland. Oakland was more similar to the eastern cities in the problems it had and the level of its problems than SF.