Juvenile Firesetter Intervention Program

The Juvenile Firesetter Program is a Pinellas County program in collaboration with all of the local fire departments and law enforcement agencies. The program is designed to assist parents, teachers, counselors and community leaders work with young people that show an unusual interest in fires through intervention workshops. What can I do?

Workshops are available once a month at the St. Petersburg Fire and Rescue Headquarters, located at 400 Dr. M. L. King Street South, in St. Petersburg. Referral and volunteer access to this program is through the local fire department and particpation is held in confidence by the agencies. Additional information about participating in this program is available through the Fire Marshal's office at 727.363.9207.

About juvenile firesetters:

The number of fires set by children is growing. It is a problem that needs the attention of parents, teachers, counselors and community leaders.

In Rochester, NY, a two-year-old, playing with matches, started a fire that took his life and the lives of five family members.

In Roanoak, VA, a seven-year-old boy set fire to a chair in an abandoned building, a fire that spread to an adjacent house and trapped and an elderly woman.

In Passaic, NJ, a fire fighter was killed and hundreds of people lost their homes in a fire started by a group of teenage boys.

These tragic incidents are not isolated events. In a typical year in the U.S., 300 people are killed and about $300 million in property is destroyed in fires set by children. The children themselves are usually the victims of these fires, accounting for 85 of every 100 deaths.

Why children set fires:

Most experts agree that the best way to understand firesetting behavior is to look at where and why children set fires. They believe that there are two basic types of children that start fires:

Curiosity firesetters are usually children between the ages of 2 and 7 years whose fascination with fire leads them to "play" with it to find out how it feels, how it burns and what it does. They do not understand fire's destructive potential. Although curiosity is a normal part of a child's growth and development, parents and other adults who discover that a child is playing with fire should take it very seriously.

Problem firesetters can also be very young, but tend to be between the ages of 5 and 17 years. In contrast to the "curious firesetter", these youngsters set fires because of emotional or mental problems ranging from mild to severe. A crisis in the child's life, such as moving to a new area, a death or divorce, could trigger fire setting behavior. A more serious disturbance could be the cause. Chronic behaviors such as poor relationships with other children, cruelty to animals or extreme mood changes are a few of the traits that have been linked to juvenile firesetting.

If you have or know of a child in need of help on this issue, talk with you local fire officials.