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Show t t t jgp (DdDimsiiniMnimg Himtteiresit Fascination with fire can mean trouble submitted by the Park City Fire Protection District Raising children is often a challenge. But the parental enterprise enter-prise may never be tougher than when a parent learns his child has begun setting fires. Children as young as two or three years of age can set a fire. Nationwide, children younger than age nine are implicated in a large proportion of all fires that are deliberately set. Sometimes a fire set by a juvenile burns itself out and does little or no damage. Or it may claim lives, cause lifelong pain and disfigurement, and destroy homes and property. In other words, juvenile firesetting is a serious topic. When a child starts a fire, it's more than a destructive act it's an attempt to communicate. In well-adjusted children, particularly particular-ly the very young, firesetting may communicate only the need for fire safety education. For an emotionally troubled child, firesetting behavior may be a desperate plea for help. A well-adjusted child may set fires out of a simple curiosity. Fire can be a fascinating thing as it glows and dances before young eyes and smaller children may have no conception of fire's destructive power. Often, curiosity firesetters respond to simple fire education-learning education-learning what fire is, how it can hurt, and how to practice fire safety. The normal age range for curiosity about fire is from two to seven years old. However, not all juvenile firesetting arises from simple curiosity. Authorities note the following warning signs of a problem firesetter: (1) child has set several fires, (2) child seeks out and collects fire-setting tools, (3) child uses fires to receive attention, (4) child uses fire to hurt animals or other children, or (5) child seems overly fascinated with fire. If a child you know displays some of these warning signs, immediately seek help from your fire department or a mental health professional. This kind of firesetting is not a "phase" that children go through. It's a cry for help ... a cry that can become deadly if it isn't answered. |