FireRAP - Firelighting Risk Awareness Program

Why do children light fires?

There are a range of reasons why children might light fires:

• curiosity about fire
• fascination with fire
• attention-seeking behaviour
• peer pressure
• anger
• revenge.

Younger children tend to light fires in and around their homes. They usually don’t mean to cause damage and don’t understand how dangerous fire can be.

Fire lighting can also be a sign that a child is worried or upset about something, and they may need extra help from other services.

What can you do?

Supervise and educate your children:

• Supervise your children at all times, especially around fire, cooking and heating
• Teach your children that fire is a tool for adults to use, not a toy
• Don’t let your children use fire – helping with lighting the fire or burning off makes children think that they can control fire
• Teach your children facts about fire safety and the consequences of fire.

Remove the temptation:

• Lock away matches and lighters – just like you lock away medicines and other dangerous household substances
• Teach your children to bring you any unattended matches or lighters they find and reward them for their honesty
• If you are a smoker, think about giving up, smokers are more likely to have children who light fires.

Make your home fire safe:

• Lead by example – reduce the risk of fire by using fire, cooking, heating and electricity safely
• Have working smoke alarms in all the bedrooms and the hall outside bedrooms.

Make a plan to get them out alive:

• Every body in the house should know what to do if there is a fire – have a family escape plan and practice it.

FireRAP uses basic social learning and behavioural principles such as positive reinforcement.

FireRAP is not appropriate:

• for older children who have finished primary school
• where fire setting is persistent, malicious or part of a pattern of antisocial/criminal behaviour
• for children in the Community/Youth Justice system
• where fire setting is related to psychopathology
• where professional intervention is required – FireRAP practitioners are firefighters with training in this program, not social workers or psychologists.

Referring a child to FireRAP:

• FireRAP does not accept referrals from service providers
• only the child’s parent or guardian can refer them to the program
• we suggest that you give a copy of the brochure to parents/guardians of children who are lighting fires. Explain how the program can assist them and encourage them to make contact
• the program requires the support of the parent/guardian to be successful. Their willingness to make contact and arrange for a visit is an indicator of how motivated they are to support the program and manage their child’s fire lighting behaviour.
• the program’s success depends on its voluntary, family-based approach.

Other support for juvenile firelighters

When a referral to FireRAP is not appropriate, the Community Education unit of the Tasmania Fire Service may be able to assist other service providers working with young people who set fires by providing fire-related advice and resources.