When is playing with matches more than mere curiosity?

The Beaufort Fire Department wants parents to think twice before casting off their child's penchant for playing with matches as mere curiosity.

National Arson Awareness Week, as designated by the United States Fire Administration, began Sunday and with it came sobering statistics about the number of arsons committed each year by young people.

According to the National Fire Protection Association, juveniles account for about half of all U.S. arson arrests every year since 1992.

Two years ago, the Beaufort Fire Department started a juvenile firesetter intervention program to curb a young person's urge to set fires before it becomes a deadly habit. The program is certified by the state fire marshal's office.

Beaufort fire marshal Lt. Dan Byrne said three children have entered the month-long program, but none have completed it.

Byrne said when a juvenile becomes a part of the city's program, they are screened using a risk-assessment form issued by the USFA. After answering a series of questions, the child is classified as a mild, moderate or extreme threat.

"Most of the people we screen are in the mild to moderate category. Mild just means that that child needs to be educated on matches and lighters. Moderate means that there may be some family counseling that is needed for that child because fire is a tool of communication or emotional release for them," Byrne said.

He added that, in the history of the program, a young person has never been classified as an extreme risk. The extreme risk category typically suggests that fire-setting is pathological for that individual.

Once screened, the child and their family will undergo a fire safety course, performed for free by a member of the fire department.

"We will fit into their schedules, nights, days, whatever. We try to do one day of week of fire safety with the family and talk to them about what to do in the event of a fire and where the fire extinguishers are," he said.

The problem with the program, Byrne said, is that the fire department can only recommend that a child receive counseling if the screening indicates it as necessary but cannot mandate that treatment.

"I wish we had the cooperation of law enforcement agencies, as they do with other programs, only because I fear this may be a bigger problem than we realize," he said.

Byrne said a child's attraction to fire, matches or lighters should only become a concern if it becomes habitual.

"If you have a child who is transporting that ignition source someplace else to set fires, that should be a red flag for parents or even for teachers," he said.

The Beaufort Fire Department responds to about four fires each year set by children, Byrne said.

Sondra Senn, manager of public education at the state fire marshal's office, said education has been critical in greatly reducing the number of children killed in South Carolina every year by fires. Last year, seven children died in house fires in South Carolina.

"Education has worked, the numbers show that. But parents and teachers have to continue to do their part," Senn said.

Want to know more about the program? Contact the Beaufort Fire Department at 843-525-7055