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Since its discovery, fire has had a mesmerizing effect on humankind. Fire has a powerful emotional impact and meaning for most people. Any force so wonderful yet so destructive can easily be misunderstood and therefore misused.

Arsonists are those people in our society who maliciously use fire to destroy property. According to the FBI, in 2006 54 percent of all arson arrests in this country were younger than 18, with one-third younger than 15 and nearly 4 percent younger than 10.

Juvenile firesetting is an alarming and disturbing problem. Children ages 2 to 10 usually begin playing with fire out of curiosity and experimentation. They have not received proper education on the power and destructive abilities of fire, they have ready access to lighters, matches or open flames, and they are often left unsupervised.

Older children and youth might use fire to express emotions: anger, sadness, frustration, or powerless feelings concerning stress or major changes in their life. These youths use fire as a cry for help and will most likely continue until their needs are met or identified or worse, lives are lost from a fire that got out of control.

As this behavior continues, older teens begin to use fire with intent to destroy. They target schools, open fields, Dumpsters or abandoned buildings. The consequences of their actions might result in restitution and criminal punishment.

What can we do to prevent our children from becoming juvenile firesetters? The first step in solving the problem is to understand better which children set fires and why they do it. Parents and caretakers must accept the responsibility of providing their children with clear boundaries at home. Kids must know what they can and can’t do.

Parents and caretakers must teach their children about the dangers of fire and properly supervise them. Parents and caretakers have to spend more time with their children and know what they are doing, how they are feeling and where they are going.

When a child is found to be exhibiting firesetting behaviors, the community can then be called in to help the family. Help can be found from the fire department, police department, mental health counselors and social services, schools and churches, public and private business, the insurance industry and the medical community can all provide a family with care to prevent a lifetime of heartache as a result of fire.

The U.S. Fire Administration recommends these important safety tips for parents and caregivers:

Teach children at a young age that fire is a tool and not a toy.

Keep matches and lighters out of reach, ideally in high, locked cabinets.

Supervise young children at all times.

Ask young children to tell you when they find matches and lighter, and put them away.

Teach older children the proper techniques for using fire and fire tools.

Set a good example: use matches, lighters, and fire carefully.

Never leave a stove or candle unattended, it only takes a few seconds before a life changing disaster can strike.

Install, maintain and test your smoke alarms and be sure to plan and practice a fire drill in your home so everyone knows what to do in case of an emergency.

Remember, if you know of or suspect a child is playing with fire, call your local police or fire department. There are programs designed to help a child before a life changing event occurs.

Troy Gudie is Onalaska’s assistant fire chief and Jeff Hoch is public education director with the Onalaska Fire Department.

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