Most of never think of arson unless we are watching an old Columbo rerun. But somebody has to think about it. It turns out that arson isn’t as popular as it used to be. From 1998 to 2007 incidents of arson dropped from well over 70000 per year to around 32000 per year. Homeowner.nethas the data, and wonders whether the drop reflects a downward trend in desperation in an increasingly affluent society, or whether American’s have turned away from matches as a solution to their problems. Learn more about Arson in America here.