Thinking a child will out grow this behavior is not a solution. Contacting your local fire department and asking for help can put an end to this dangerous behavior. Most local fire departments can provide fire safety education for the entire family. Those that are members of the Fire Stoppers Network have a specific program in place and resources available immediately to help children who have been involved with fire. Do not put off dealing with this behavior.
Fire is a devastating and deadly force.
By deciding what the motivation for the firesetting behavior is the level of risk can be determine. Once the level of risk is determined the best approach can be taken to deal with it. The majority of children fall into the following classifications. The child is curious. The opportunity is usually there for these children because they have easy access to the fire tools and are not properly supervised.