Facts and statistics are the result of research and experience, as well as the vehicle that fuels further discussion and deeper study. More immediately, they can serve as quick and meaningful ways to emphasize the enormity of the juvenile firesetting challenge to your colleagues.
Did You Know?
Children, almost always under the false impression they can control the fires they set, cause nearly 80,000 structure fires per year.1 This results in 760 deaths, more than 3,500 injuries, and costs an estimated $1.2 billion in damage annually. Fortunately, professionals have developed juvenile specific firesetting treatment programs, which have over a 95% success rate.2, 3
2 [Bennett, BK et al. "Burn Education Awareness Recognition and Support (BEARS): a community-based juvenile firesetters assessment and treatment program". 27 Feb. 2009 <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov>.]
3 [The Journal of Trauma: Injury, Infection, and Critical Care. 53 (2002): 260-266.]
Fire Services Facts & Stats
About one in every four fires is intentionally set. Almost half of these fires were set by youths under the age of 18.
The items ignited by home fire-play are principally mattresses, bedding or clothing.
It only takes about two-minutes for the flame from a single match to set an entire room on fire, and less than five minutes for that fire to overtake an entire house.
Fire and burns are the leading causes of unintentional home injury death for 1 to 14 year olds, and the second leading cause of death for children less than 1.
Mental Health Facts & Stats
The bedroom is the most common origin point (42%) for fires set by children inside their home.
Children in the poorest areas, urban or rural, are at greatest risk from fire.
For children under the age of 15, fire is the 2nd leading cause of non-transportation accidental death.
The highest percentage of school fires occur in middle schools and high schools.
In a recent study, adolescent females set significantly fewer fires, used accelerants less, caused significantly fewer injuries, and were less likely to pull a false alarm than their adolescent male counterparts.
While only one out of twenty adolescent boys reported setting a fire in school, one out of five girls reported setting a fire in their school.
While females are responsible for approximately 15% of firesetting among children and adolescents they have received less than one half of one percent of research attention.
ADHD, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, and Conduct Disorder remain the most frequently reported diagnosis among firesetting juveniles.
Juvenile Justice Facts & Stats
Arrests of juveniles for the crime of arson were higher, proportionally, than for any other crime.
Juveniles account for more than half of the arson arrests, with one-third of those children under the age of 15, and nearly four percent under age ten.
Juveniles arrested for arson increased from 1980 to 1996:
Pediatric Burn Care Facts & Stats
In 2006, children playing with fire started an estimated 14,500 structure fires that were reported to U.S. fire departments, causing an estimated 130 civilian deaths, 810 civilian injuries and $328 million in direct property damage.
Nearly two-thirds (63%) of all fatal victims of fires by playing are children 5 years old and younger.
Nearly two out of every three child-playing fires -- and four out of five associated deaths and injuries -- involve matches or lighters.
The items ignited by home fire-play are principally mattresses, bedding or clothing.
In 2006, an estimated 14,500 structure fires involving fire-play were reported to U.S. municipal fire departments. These fires resulted in an estimated 130 civilian deaths, 810 civilian injuries, and $328 million in direct property damage, annually.
For well over 15 years, juveniles have contributed significantly to the number of arsons in the United States. In 2001, they represented 49 percent of all arson arrests. Many additional blazes set by youths go undetected, unreported, or unsolved.
Nearly 85-percent of the victims of child-set fires are the children themselves.
Nationally, playing with fire is the leading cause of death in residential fires for young children.
Children are under the false impression that they can control the fires they set.
Many children who set fires lack both parental supervision and fire safety education.
Nationally, children who play with fire cause nearly 80,000 structure fires per year which result in approximately 760 deaths and more than 3,500 injuries.
Juvenile firesetting causes an estimated 1.2 Billion dollars in damage annually.
It only takes about two minutes for the flame from a single match to set an entire room on fire, and less than five minutes for that fire to overtake an entire house.
Fire and burns are the leading causes of unintentional home injury death for 1 to 14 year olds, and the second leading cause of death for children less than 1.
A 2002 study in Illinois reported that out of the 42 children who went through their treatment program, none returned to fire-setting behaviors.
A 1999 study conducted by the Trauma Burn Outreach Prevention Program found that juvenile Firesetters who went though their program had essentially no recidivism.
Juvenile firesetter intervention programs are successful in reducing firesetting behavior. According to NFPA, without intervention more than 75 percent of youths who have played with or set fire will do it again.
If untreated, 85% of the children will continue to light fires.
Woonsocket Rhode Island has a firesetter program, which 250 children and families have participated in in the last 7 years. The Firesetter program has a 95.8% success rate, with only a 4.2% recidivism rate.
Juvenile Firesetting programs work. An eight site FEMA study in North America treating 766 young Firesetters, found a 1.25% recidivism rate 11 months after treatment.
Without a comparison group, however, it is not known whether this recidivism rate would have occurred without any intervention. Williams and Jones (1989) examined the effects of fire safety skills training on young firesetters in the UK, noting improvements in participants' responses to emergency fire situations at a 5-month follow up compared with a control group of firesetters who received no intervention. However, both studies had only short follow-up periods of less than one year after completion of the programmes.
In a 2002 study with 132 juveniles attending a 1 day program, only 1 re-offended during the follow-up period of 8 months to 2.5 years.
Schools Facts & Stats
Only 12% of United States Fire Departments have a staff member assigned exclusively to fire and life safety education.
There is no mandatory fire safety curriculum in US schools.
Effective fire safety education must be age appropriate.
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