NCJ Number
58048
Date Published
1976
Length
5 pages
Annotation
THE PROBLEM OF DELIBERATE FIRE SETTING IN PUBLIC PARKS AND FORESTS IS DISCUSSED, WITH REFERENCE TO MOTIVES, PREVENTION STRATEGIES, AND RESEARCH ON FIRE-RELATED BEHAVIOR IN CHILDREN.
Abstract
MORE THAN 90 PERCENT OF THE 100,000 WILDFIRES IN THE UNITED STATES EACH YEAR ARE STARTED BY HUMAN BEINGS. MOST FOREST FIRES RESULT FROM NEGLIGENCE OR CARELESSNESS, RATHER THAN FROM DELIBERATE ACTS. DELIBERATE FIRE SETTING IS PARTICULARLY COMMON IN THE SOUTH, WHERE IT ACCOUNTS FOR NEARLY 40 PERCENT OF ALL FOREST FIRES (COMPARED TO 25 PERCENT NATIONALLY). IN THE SOUTH, WOOD BURNING IS PART OF THE CULTURAL HERITAGE AND IS SOMETIMES USED TO EXPRESS ANTAGONISM TOWARD GOVERNMENT AGENCIES AND LARGE TIMBER COMPANIES. FIRE-PREVENTION PROGRAMS DIRECTED TOWARD BASICALLY WELL-MEANING PEOPLE GENERALLY ARE NOT APPROPRIATE FOR DEALING WITH FIRES OF DELIBERATE ORIGIN. ONE STUDY OF CHILDREN WHO HAD BEEN INVOLVED IN FIRE INCIDENTS FOUND MULTIPLE FIRE SETTING TO BE A SYMPTOM OF A NUMBER OF PROBLEMS (EXCESSIVE ACTIVITY, AGGRESSION, PSYCHOSOMATIC ILLNESS, FAMILY AND SCHOOL PROBLEMS, ETC.). EARLY IDENTIFICATION AND INTERVENTION FOR SUCH CHILDREN IS IMPORTANT, BECAUSE FIRE-RELATED PROBLEMS IN ADULTS ARE NOTORIOUSLY RESISTANT TO THERAPY. FIRE PLAY AND EXPERIMENTATION IS PART OF CHILDHOOD, AND MOST CHILDREN WHO START FIRES ARE BASICALLY NORMAL. ANOTHER STUDY EXPLORED HOW CHILDREN LEARN THE APPROPRIATE SKILLS, UNDERSTANDING, AND ATTITUDES THAT MEDIATE AGAINST THE MISUSE OF FIRE. THE FOCUS OF FIRE-PREVENTION EFFORTS SHOULD BE ON TEACHING CHILDREN HOW TO HANDLE DANGEROUS MATERIALS AND SITUATIONS, RATHER THAN ON LIMITING THEIR EXPERIMENTATION. A LIST OF REFERENCES IS INCLUDED. (LKM)