Is your child playing with fire?
Your are here:- Welcome / Your Fire and Rescue Service /Is your child playing with fire?
Why do Children Set Fires?
Children and young people start to play with fire for various reasons, ranging from natural curiosity to attention seeking.
Without help and guidance, fire setting behavior can increase and lead to more serious consequences such as serious personal injury and damage to homes, schools and property.
What are the Signs of Regular Fire Setting?
Small burn holes in carpets, charred paper in sinks or bins
Matches or lighters hidden in your child's bedroom, coat or school bag
An unusual fascination with fire
Unexplained fires in or around your home
Last year North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service attended 3,272 fire related incidents. Of these incidents 1,676 were established as being started deliberately - THAT'S OVER HALF!! However by addressing the issues earlier and sensitively this number can be effectively reduced.
Advice for Parents and Guardians
Make sure you have working smoke alarms fitted in your home, we can arrange for these to be fitted if required.
Make sure matches and lighters are locked away and out of reach of children and young people. Child resistant lighters are available from the Fire Service.
Carry out regular checks for signs of fire setting such as burns on carpets, beds or furniture.
Never leave a child alone in the house, even for small periods of time.
Explain to your child how dangerous fire can be.
Ask for help, our service is free of charge.
Firecare
LFRS offers its free, confidential Firecare service to any fire setter up to 17 years old. In most cases Firecare involves only one or two home visits to the family by two advisors; we aim to educate the whole family about fire safety. However, for young people with more complex problems, there are structured 5 to 10 session programs available.
LFRS delivers these in conjunction with other city and county agencies e.g. The Child and Adolescent Mental Health Strategy, the Youth Offending Teams and the Child Behavior Intervention Initiative. We will take referrals from anybody, but the permission of the parent/guardian must be given.
Referrals can be made (24 hours) via service headquarters or Control, on 0116 2872241; Tina Illston is the coordinator. When making a referral please supply a contact address and telephone number for the family, the age of the child and details of the fire setting behavior.
Email Us
Print This Page