noun
arson; incendiarism
Refers to the act of deliberately setting a fire, often in a criminal context. More specific than 放火 (ほうか), which is the legal term for arson.
警察は付け火の疑いで男を逮捕した。
The police arrested a man on suspicion of arson.
その火事は付け火によるものだった。
The fire was caused by arson.
放火 is the formal legal term for arson, while 付け火 is a more colloquial or literary word for the same act.
Compound of 付け (つけ, continuative form of 付ける 'to attach, set') + 火 (ひ, 'fire'), literally 'setting fire'. The reading つけび is a rendaku form of つけ + ひ.