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[GUIDE] ARSON AND EXPLOSIVE DEVICES

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 How To Commit Arson.

Arson can be a complex crime. Depending on accelerants, such as napalm, gasoline, kerosene, butane and turpentine or any flammable liquid with a low flash point are used - it has a lot of avenues of preparation. There's also the topic of Pyromania, the impulsive condition to set fires primarily to relieve stress, relief, and for the purpose of pleasure. I'm going to cover the possible accelerants that can be used, the construction of certain explosive devices that are readily accessible, the act itself, and Pyromania. As well as how fire debris is examined in a forensic setting.

 

Once again, doing this primarily to dispel myths that surround how to actually set a flame that could burn down a structure, and how it can be examined. Another reason is to provide an idea as to how much the average criminal or person would really know as a baseline, and those who often dabble in homemade accelerants and explosives often know, too.

 

Accelerants, and how to acquire them!:

 

  1.  Napalm! Napalm is a generic term often used to refer towards a mix of any petroleum substance, often diesel compounded with a thickening agent to provide the napalm a 'sticky' property. There are quite a variety of different types of napalm. Napalm was originally devised as a weapon of war at Harvard, and due to the sticky and slow burning nature of Napalm as an accelerant would prolong the suffering of the victim, hence why it is no longer usable was a weapon of war. Napalm-B is the modern variety. But, in order to actually make homemade napalm, you take a container and fill it half-way preferably with diesel or any form of gasoline. Break up some Styrofoam, throw it in, mix it up, and then pour out the mix while sieving out the Styrofoam. Due to how slow burning Napalm is, it's best to add engine oil to the mixture if you want a faster burn while maintain the stickiness of it all. Napalm burns immensely hot, able to burn through asphalt. It is incredibly dangerous, and is well suited to burning through a structure if enough Napalm is layered onto structural weakpoints.
  2. Thermite. Creating thermite at home is possible, mostly through the acquisition of iron oxide, AKA rust. Take a DC converter, separate the wires, and strip them. Add salt to a jar of water, insert the wires into the salt water, and then tie an iron nail towards the positive wire. Put the negative wire on the other end of the iron nail, and repeat the process. A lot. Getting a hold of the amount of iron oxide will take time, and if you're going through the amount of effort required here, you may as well produce this en masse. Remove the excess water once you are done, and pour the solution out onto a baking sheet of some kind. Dry it in the sun or inside overnight. Crush it up after, and heat it up in an iron pot with the addition of pure aluminium filings. Ratio is eight to three grams. The main problem you’ll have with thermite is the sheer amount of heat required to actually activate Thermite, and in any practical situation, it may as well not be an option. But. Thermite can be activated with a magnesium ribbon. Another way to ignite thermite is the use of a chemical reaction, potassium permanganate and glycerol. Potassium permanganate can be acquired as filter cleaner. An ideal mix would be: 55g iron(iii) + 15 aluminium powder + 25g potassium permanganate + 6ml glycerin.
  3. Gasoline. Simple. The most used accelerant within any arson crime, with an easily reached flash point. Burns rather quick in comparison to Napalm or Thermite. It’s main pro is ease of acquisition and use.
  4. Thermate. Thermate is merely a different composition of our friend Thermite, but instead utilises a salt-based oxidiser such as barium nitrate. Easier to ignite and produces a molten slag. Thermate is better suited towards explosive devices. Ideal mix is: 69 percent thermite + 29 percent barium nitrate + 2 percent sulfure + .3 percent binder + thermate. Arguably superior than Thermite due to how easy it is to ignite, and a superior heat capacity.
  5. Acetone. With a flash point of -4 degrees Celsius, it’s not exactly a brilliant accelerant in comparison to what I’ve laid beforehand. However, considering ease of acquisition and ease of use, it would be a fine candidate. Also consider the potential for acetone, (dimethyl ketone, 2-propanone) to be used in different batches of home made accelerants. Acetone is a common solvent, and easily acquired thus.

 

How Arson Investigators detect accelerants, and how to cheat them.:

Fire investigators and field lab techs have a series of processes in order to detect what manner of accelerants are used in the commission of an arson crime. It requires lab analysis to function. This is because what is left behind is ILRs, ignitable liquid residues. This is the main method of detecting an accelerant, determining what accelerant it was, and ultimately it falls to an investigator to determine whether or not the presence of the accelerant is evidence enough for foul play. The most important part that plays into detecting the ILRs is going to be the source of the flame in the scene, the origin of the fire. This contains the highest concentration of ILRs. Now, the main way to detect a origin point for a flame revolves around localized burns and concentrated pour patterns on the part of the potential arsonist. An arsonist who deigns to mask the nature of their crime can attempt to avoid any particularly recognizable pour pattern if possible. The nature of arson as a crime results in the majority of the evidence destroying itself, and as such, masking the intentional nature of arson would primarily be done by attempting to make it appear accidental. Whether that is through attempting to start a gas leak, or using a rather common accelerant that would not be detected as being out of place.

  

Classifcations of ignitable liquids!:

There are 5 main classes of ignitable liquids, with a miscallenous category as well. You have LPD, light petroleum distillates such as pocket lighter fuels, rubber cement solvents, and camping fuels. Secondly, you have gasoline. Thirdly, MPD, medium petroleum distillates. Mineral spirits, paint thinner, charcoal starters, torch fuels. Fourth, is Kerosine. Jet aviation fuel, solvent in insecticides and paint thinners. Fifth is HPD, heavy petroleum distillates. Diesel and home heating oil.

Beyond that, in miscallenous, you have accelerants such as single compounds like turpentine, oxygenated solvents, isoparaffins, normal alkanes, aromatic solvents and paraffinic/naphthenic solvents.

 

Explosive devices and IC knowledge/Acids, bombs, and how to make them!:

For whatever reason, your character has decided that they’re in need of some manner of explosive device. Whether it be for intimidation, to destroy a rival business, or solely to murder somebody – let’s cover the primary components of every bomb. A fuse, and a casing, and then the primary chemical reaction that’ll take place. I’m going to be using the example of a thermite bomb here. A casing can really be anything – it does not have to be long lasting. The real trouble with a thermite bomb would be crafting a fuse that would be able to ignite thermite. But, assuming you have access to magnesium ribbons, you can mix KNO3 with sugar. This powder, combined with a pull pin connected to a match striker can ignite magnesium, and in turn, ignite the thermite. Ta-da, you have a thermite bomb.

And, as the majority of people know, explosives can be made via readily available substances such as nitrobenzene and fertilizer. Once again, follow the formula. Casing, fuse, primary reaction.

The real problem on an IC basis in regards to bombs is that your average low-level criminal has *no* idea how this would work. Bombs are immensely volatile, and require at least a rudimentary understanding of chemistry and the principles thereof. But, there would certainly be those with the expertise. Ex-demo experts, chemistry hobbyists, experienced anarchists. Researching this is difficult but not impossible, as evidenced by the very existence of this thread. As such, be sure to roleplay out your own research, and alongside that, the trial and error of becoming at least partially proficient in bomb making. Listed below are various explosive devices/the ingredients required for said explosive devices and the steps to build them, taken from the Improvised Warfare booklet.

  1.  Fertilizer Explosive. Made from fertilizer grade ammonium and either equal parts motor oil and gasoline, When prepared, this'll require a blasting cap to detonate. Requires: Ammonium nitrate (not less than 32% nitrogen), fuel oil or gasoline and motor oil (equal parts in a 1:1 ratio), two flat boards that can be held comfortably in the hand, bucket, steel pipe, blasting cap, wooden rod in 1/4 diameter, spoon.  You spread a handful of the ammonium nitrate on the flat board and vigorously rub until the large particles have been crushed into a fine dust for approximately 10 minutes. Proceeding with the next step is crucial, before the particles are contaminated with moisture. Mix one measure of fuel oil with 16 measures of the ground up ammonium nitrate in a dry bucket with the wooden rod. Spoon the mixture into a steel pipe with a threaded cap on one end, inserting the blasting cap just beneath the surface of the explosive mix.  Confine the end of the container, increasing the effectiveness of the explosive. Increase the scale of the explosive for greater blasting power.
  2. Hellhoffite Explosive. Requires nitric acid, nitrobenzene, acid resistant measuring containers, acid resistant mixing rod, blasting cap, wax, pipe, tape, and a jar. The mixture must be prepared just before use. Add one vollume of the nitrobenzene to two volumes of nitric acid in a jar, mixing firmly with the rod, before then taking the pipe and threading on the end cap, pouring in the mixture, and then tape the blasting cap just beneath the surface of the mixture.
  3. - TACC (Tetramminecopper (II) chlorate). TACC is a primary explosive to be used with a booster explosive such as reclaimed RDX or picirc acid. Requires: Sodium chlorate, copper sulfate, ammonium hydroxide. 95 percent pure alcohol, wax, water, narrow bottle, wide bottle, tubing, a teaspoon, a scale, heat, a paper towel, a pan, tape, and a cup. Firstly, measure 1/3 teaspoon of sodium chlorate into the wide mouthed bottle alongside 10 teaspoons of alcohol. Place the bottle in a pan of hot water, adding then a single teaspoon of the copper sulfate. Heat for thirty minutes just beneath boiling point whilst stirring occasionally. Keep the volume constant by adding alcohol every ten minutes. Remove the solution from the pan and let it cool, and the colour should change from a light blue to that of a light green. Filter through paper into another wide mouthed bottle. Add two hundred and fifty ml of ammonia to the narrow mouth bottle, placing the tubing into the bottle's neck and sealing with the wax. Place the free end of the tubing into the chlorate-alcohol-sulfate solution. Heat the narrow bottle of ammonium in the pot of hot water for ten minutes, below boiling. Bubble the ammonium gas through the tubing, for ten minutes. Solution changes colour. Ten more minutes. Remove the solution from the pan, reduce volume by 1/3 via evaporation. Filter solution through paper towels into a jar to collect crystals. Wash crystals with a teaspoon of alcohol, and let dry for 16 hours. At this point, solution is a primary explosive and should be kept away from flame.
  4. Methyl Nitrate Dynamite. Requires sulfuric acid, nitric acid, methyl alcohol. To acquire these, boil clear battery acid until white fumes appear. Methanol. For Nitric, will add extraction method later. Will require a syringe with a glass tube, large diamater glass, narrow jar, fine sawdust, a cup, a 3-5 gallon pan, teaspoon, wooden stick, steel pipe, blasting cap, water and a tray. Add 24 teaspoons of sulfuric acid to 16 and a half of nitric acid in the 2 quart jar. Place the jar in the pan with cold water and allow the acid to cool. Rapidly swirl the jar, creating a whirlpool. Keep the jar in the water in the pan. While continuing to swirl the acid, add 1/2 teaspoon at a time of 13 1/2 teaspoons methyl alcohol, allowing the acid to cool between allotments of methyl alcohol. After the final bit of methyl alcohol, allow it to cool for 45 seconds. Carefully then pour into a narrow glass jar, allowing the jar to sit in water for five minutes until the two layers in the solution separate. With the syringe, carefully remove the top layer and place into separate narrow jar. This liquid is the explosive. Add equal amount of water, swirl until the solution separates - explosive at the bottom. Carefully remove the top layer with the syringe, placing a packed cup of sawdust into your tray. Whilst stirring with the wooden stick, slowly add the explosive until the mass is damp. Store in sealed container to avoid evaporation. To package explosive, stuff into pipe with blasting cap beneath surface of mixture. Thread end cap on to maximize damage.
  5. Molotovs and fire bombs. Whilst seeming simple, there's a myth that right off the bat that can be dispelled. You do not make molotovs with high proof alcohol. Alcohol, all in all, is a terrible accelerant if you wish to set something on fire for any long period of time. It burns out far too quick to be a suitable accelerant for destructive purposes. For molotovs, you have either gasoline as your accelerant, or your own home-brand napalm. Napalm differs between those who cook it, and what they intend to use it for. As I mentioned previously, using engine oil will still retain the sticky nature of your napalm whilst picking up the pace on the burn. A napalm molotov is far more suited to anti-personnel. It sticks to the flesh and the clothing of your victim. Arguably, also superior in burning down a building. But consider - a molotov is an immensely inconvenient way of burning down a building, and leaves evidence in the form of glass, rags, etc, etc. An arson investigator has quite a lot to go off of. Molotovs may be quick to assemble, but are not perfect by any means of the imagination. They are best utilized within a cluster, rather than being thrown as singular bombs.
  6. Nitric Acid. This acid is particularly important in a wide variety of explosives and acid delay timers for said explosives. It is made by distilling a mix of potassium nitrate and concentrated sulfuric acid. Requires potassium nitrate (2 parts by volume), concentrated sulfuric acid (1 part by volume), 2 narrow necked bottles, a pot, heat source, tape, and paper. If you have acquired the sulfuric acid from a car battery, boil the acid to concentrate it. Do not inhale white fumes. Place the dry potasssium nitrate in a bottle, add sulfuric acid. Do not add more than 1/4. Mix until paste is formed. Wrap the rags/paper around the necks of the bottles, and tape the bottles securely together so that they are flush. Support the bottles so that the empty bottle is slightly lower than the bottle with the paste. Gently heat the bottle with the paste, and pour water over it so that red fumes are produced. That is a signifier that nitric acid is being produced. Continue until no more red fumes are produced, and all nitric acid has filtrated into the empty bottle. Nitric acid must be kept away from skin.

 

Blasting Caps.:

Every explosive I've listed requires a blasting cap. A blasting cap is a small, sensitive explosive device that is used to trigger the secondary explosive mixture. Detonators can generally be split up into military and commercial usages, and are varied. However, I'm mainly focusing upon the blasting caps that would be acquirable/potentially made by an aspiring arsonist/bomb maker. Blasting caps could, in theory, be acquired from construction sites. Commercial blasting caps are more often than stored on site prior to detonation and demolition, and if a character was in desparate need of a blasting cap - they could steal one from a site. But, it's risky - and actually breaking in is a different matter in of itself.

 

But, creating a blasting cap could be easier, depending on what materiel the character has access to. A pyrotechnic fuse blasting cap is the simplest to build out the lot. A metal cylinder, closed at one end. A pyrotechnic fuse is entered into the cylinder, crimped, an ignition mix is then inserted, then a primary explosive,  Primary explosives refer to sensitive explosives that are easily detonated, and the most common in the use of blasting caps is Lead Azide - from sodium azide and lead nitrate in an aqueous solution. Lead nitrate is a heavily scrutinized chemical due to it's use in explosives. Otherwise, then insert the main explosive charge of your choise after the primary explosive, and then seal your explosive - leading out your detcord or fuse for lighting. This creates, in theory, a functioning bomb. However, blasting cap crimping can go wrong - a common hazard is to crimp it with your teeth, which can in turn hit the sensitive primary explosive, and detonate in your mouth. It's dangerous, and blasting caps are the scarcest part of bomb making.

 

The importance of paranoia.:

For the average criminal in Los Santos, making a bomb is a helluva lot more dangerous than their regular work. And more importantly, would certainly carry more weight to it if you get caught. Hobbyists within this field of chemistry are more often than not, immensely paranoid. Reasonably so, of course. Acquiring the actual materiel required for these bombs is immensely difficult due to the fact that most acids required in high potency bombs are monitored by the Alphabet Agencies, and so you have to go through rather long and drawn out methods such as the use of electrolysis for rust instead.

If you’re going down this lane of RP, I would immensely recommend playing out the paranoia of being caught. Being caught with a bomb will always raise more questions than being caught with a ghosted Hi-Point.

 

 

Pyromania, and the complexities thereof.:

A thing to reiterate right off the bat is that when RP’ing a pyromaniac, is that pyromania and pyrophilia are separate conditions. Pyrophilia being firestarting of a sexual nature, pyromania being more often than not a form of stress relief for the arsonist. Pyromania has very much two separate causes, those being individual and environmental. Environental factors being neglect, physical abuse or lighting fires from a young age.

Pyromania is generally confused with pyrophillia more often than not. Pyromaniacs however, will often scale up with time. Burning small items and slowly escalating, their crimes only becoming more and more serious. It's a lifelong condition, and rarely will a pyromaniac ever actually deescalate. There is never an established target ever in mind for a pyromaniac, there is no particular *type* for a pyronmaniac. For them, fire setting is a matter of power. It is a matter of exerting control, particularly a form of destructive control over the property and lives they often destroy. But, pyromaniacs aren't inherently psychopaths. If people get caught up in their fire setting, resulting in a casualty, they're likely to feel remorse - unless entirely wrapped up in their own delusions.

Pyromania as a mental disorder falls into the same category as other compulsive disorders such as kleptomania, IED disorder and pathological gambling. In the most bare essentials, pyromania is just the urge to set fires. For an arsonist however, there is a common profile for those who set fires for their gratification.

They are often white men within the age range of 17-26, with unstable childhoods, often having experienced some manner of childhood neglect. Usually have some manner of fascination with fire service, with overbearing mothers and cold relationships with their fathers. This is a typical arsonist, though there are certainly arsonists who fall outside of this profile. It's something to keep in mind.

 

Arson, bombs, and character development.:

Assuming you have a character who has never interacted with arson and explosive devices, and for whatever reason, has been forced to or has been drawn to these fields – they are going to be suffering for a good while in attempting to learn. Burns over the arms, misfires with explosives, terrible batches of homemade synth accelerants, etc, etc. It’s trial and error in the truest sense, as the character will have to slowly grasp the rudimentary basics of being a home-based chemist.

While niche, it can lead to entertaining RP. Acquiring your fertilizers, attempting to create a more advanced home ‘lab’ in an attempt to create better accelerants and casings and fuses, slowly learning through literal trials of fire in how to hone your craft.

 

 

Knowledge and backstory.:

There are backstories aplenty which would explain an aptitude for chemistry of the explosive and firey variety. Whether that is being a lifelong pyromaniac with a long list of scars attesting to trial and error, a former demolitions expert, a disgraced chemist, a former Militia member of the more radical kind, a streetfighting anarchist, etc, etc. This is core in my opinion in how a character should be interacting with this kind of RP. Once again, your average character will know very little beyond perhaps surface level research.

 

This is by no means complete, nor do I intend to finish this one up soon. Going to need to complete more research so I can add some more formulae in as examples, as well as put together a glossary for certain terms. Also a section on structural weaknesses and how to identify them, and far far more about how arson and the use of explosive devices should be a heavy handed decision. Hope this helps out a small subset of RP’ers, for a rather difficult thing to RP and research

 

New Sources - https://www.militarynewbie.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/TM-21-210-Improvised-Munitions-Handbook-1969-Department-of-the-Army.pdf

https://www.militarynewbie.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/TM-32-201-1-Incendiaries-Unconventional-Warfare-Devices-Techniques.pdf

https://www.bits.de/NRANEU/others/amd-us-archive/fm5-25(67).pdf

 

New sources are 60's US Army manuals covering incindiery devices and improvised weaponry. The improvised munitions handbook covers everything from 9mm pipe pistols that can be easily assembled, to how to harvest nitric acid for use in explosives. It comes with useful diagrams as well as incredibly thorough measurements and instructions. The explosives and demolitions manual is primarily focused upon, as one can guess, explosives and demolitions. It gives incredibly detailed explanations of various explosives, explosive types, how they can be manipulated, the theory behind the practice as well as how to ID structural weaknesses. The last is a handbook devoted to Unconventional Warfare, and specifically, the use of incendiaries. 

 

-- If you're looking for more content than is displayed here, I'd recommend looking into various anarchist collectives and their manifestos and pamphlets. More than a few have published actual formulae and step by step instructions in bomb making. But, your best bet is going to be military manuals for anything in depth that'll be accompanied by ever helpful diagrams.

Edited by AM
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