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Youth-Set Fires Contribute to Summertime Danger

Wildfires aren’t the only summertime fire danger. Particularly in the wake of the July 4^th influence, kids set dangerous and devastating fires.

Many people do not realize that a three-year-old can set a fire. According to Lisa Lapsansky, Vice President of a national organization called SOS FIRES: Youth Intervention Programs, "firesetting behavior among children really begins at age three. And lighters are most often their tool of choice." Last year in Portland, Oregon, children caused over 1 million dollars in property damage. Approximately half of those fires were set with lighters.

Many believe that lighters are "Child-Proof." This misunderstanding leads many to leave lighters within direct reach of children. The legislation passed in July of 1994 created changes in the design of disposable lighters. The law required a mechanism be built into disposable lighters to defeat the ability of a test group of 3 to 5 year old children from operating a lighter simulator 85% of the time. Unfortunately, this means 15% can defeat the child-resistant feature. And a child’s ability to do so grows with the amount of time they have to "play" with a lighter. Also, many lighters are still available without child-resistant features.

Preventing child-firesetting behavior can be fairly simple. It takes vigilance on the part of parents, caregivers, and the community. Consider the following tips to safeguard kids and the community from child-set fires:

• Keep matches and lighters high and away from children.
• Establish a safe place for matches and lighters. This may need to be a locked or secured location.
• Talk to kids about matches and lighters. Describe them as a dangerous tool, just as you might describe a sharp knife, loaded gun, or power tool.
• Lead by example. All adults who are around children set an example through their behavior more than their words. The July 4^th holiday often sets an example that fire is a toy that even adults play with. For this reason, July and August are the peak months for child firesetting behaviors.
• Older kids can benefit from the same approach, but it’s best to start young and build your child’s knowledge. Older kids benefit from frank talk and clear rules and expectations.
• Encourage kids to be part of your home safety. Solicit their help in making home escape plans. And adults should always listen when a child points out what may be an unsafe behavior.
• Some children set fires as a result of stress and/or crisis in their lives. This is a dangerous behavior that needs a higher level of attention.
• Report any firesetting activity by kids to the fire department. A small fire or one that doesn’t cause damage does not mean that a dangerous situation did not exist.
• Youth Firesetting Intervention Programs are designed to provide the important education to families to overcome some of these common contributors to firesetting behavior. They also take a deeper look at the behavior to help spot the higher level, crisis firesetting behaviors and assist families in getting the help needed to stop the dangerous behavior.
• Contact your local program. It might just save a life!

Visit the SOS FIRES web site for additional information and tips

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