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"'It was coming fast toward us. The flame. The fire. Everything.'
They were literally blown outside by a flashover, the instant burn of gasses and smoke, when the carbon that is smoke burns hotter than one thousand degrees and the entire contents of a room erupt in flame and no living thing survives. People, smoke, flames, merchandise, everything, were blasted through the door into the cool autumn night."
Trapped in a building engulfed by fire is a horror that hopefully none of us will ever experience. I came close enough once --- a department store that became an instant death trap. If I hadn't been running a half hour late that day, my 11-month-old daughter and I would have been among the victims. It was a long time ago, but the experience still lingers just under the surface, which is why reading THE FIRE LOVER gave me pause, and I've no doubt other readers will find it just as unsettling. Wambaugh's detailed account of America's most prolific arsonist of the 20th century is a mesmerizing and chilling dose of reality.
John Orr grew up in the Los Angeles area, where brush fires were a frequent occurrence. As a boy he watched in fascination as heroic firefighters battled the raging flames, saving lives and property. He wanted to be a hero, too, and enjoy all that that entailed: the excitement, the risk, the public recognition, the feeling of control over a life-threatening situation. After a brief stint in the Air Force where he received training as a firefighter, he married, started a family and applied to the LAPD to become a policeman. At the time, the LAPD was considered the finest law enforcement organization in the country, and Orr no doubt had visions of a glamorous career as one of LA's finest. But after impressing everyone with his outstanding test scores, he hit a stumbling block. He blew his chances in the final phase of the interview process --- the psychological testing. While it's unclear what specifics were contained in the examiner's assessment, he was not accepted to the LAPD training program, which was a major disappoint for Orr. He then managed to make it into the LAFD training program, but before becoming an official firefighter he was washed out for not performing well on the physical requirements. His next attempt was with the Glendale fire academy, and that time John Orr completed the program, becoming a full-fledged fireman, and from that point on nothing stood in his way.
As the tale of John Orr's life and career unfolds, the reader is given an evenhanded depiction of a highly intelligent, accomplished firefighter who rose to the rank of arson investigator. In fact, he became such an expert in his field that he taught classes, gave seminars, and the articles he submitted to professional publications were often cited by his peers as some of the most insightful research of the time. Yet he was also a man who manipulated the system, exhibiting a tendency to create situations that would provide him opportunities to be the heroic public servant. And while he was generally liked, he was always a loner whose personal life was a constant procession of failed marriages and superficial friendships.
As the troubling profile of John Orr intersects with the horrific events that took place, readers are left to ponder what role, if any, Orr may have played in them. Although he was eventually convicted and sentenced to life in prison, there are many, including some of his fellow firefighters, who still refuse to believe he was responsible for as many as 2,000 fires, millions in property damage, and the tragic loss of lives. Many witnesses gave testimony that would seem to point directly to Orr, and there was certainly a mountain of evidence to back it up. Then there was another strange twist --- a novel Orr wrote about a firefighter/arsonist that ironically paralleled the true life events.
Throughout THE FIRE LOVER Wambaugh exhibits his remarkable gift for reconstructing true crime with all the emotional impact of a great suspense novel. As an investigative reporter, Wambaugh is unsurpassed, and like his other nonfiction works, he gives readers an in-depth education in the history of the case and the personalities involved. Above all, Wambaugh draws no overt conclusion as to the guilt or innocence of John Orr because, as he often reiterates, one niggling fact remains. No one actually saw Orr set a single fire. The evidence was all circumstantial. And since Orr has never admitted any responsibility, nor answered the many questions put to him by investigators, he will probably continue to remain an enigma. But, regardless of what opinions you may form by the time you've reached the final page, I'll make you a wager --- the next time you enter a supermarket or hardware store, the first thing you're going to look for are the fire exits.
--- Reviewed by Ann Bruns
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