Carlton was 2 years old when he nearly burned down his family's home with a match. Brett got in the habit of handling his anger by watching fires until they burned out. One of these kids could easily be your child.
Experts say that children who set fires share common traits that can lead to disaster.
Most of these children, they say, exhibit a need for control. They have trouble reining in their impulses, and they show difficulty expressing themselves. Left untreated, these behavioral factors could lead to arson. Today, in Fall River, Mass., she runs a place called the Fire School where she teaches and counsels children who've set fires. Like most experts, she believes the key to keeping kids from setting fires is to get to them early in life before fascination changes into a cycle of destruction.