Roselyn House School and The RHISE Service 

Setting Fires/Arson Policy 

 

The LCC Fire and Rescue Service works with children and young people each year who have been identified as being a risk and/or at risk from fire play or deliberate fire setting.  This educational intervention can be part of a voluntary agreement with parents or carers (within the Firewise scheme/ Fire Intervention Response Education Scheme (FIRES)) or a mandatory intervention as part of a court order for children over the age of 10. 

Educational intervention within the Firewise/ FIRES scheme can range from one visit up to as many as 10 visits over many months.  The LCC Fire and Rescue Officer seconded to LCC Youth Justice Service is responsible for the delivery of 10 prescribed sessions over a number of months.  In total, Firewise/ FIRES and Youth Justice cases can generate between 200 and 300 educational sessions each year.  

Young people with fire setting behaviour present a high risk to themselves and other people, but most children raise fires out of curiosity.  It has been established that the education of both children and their parents is the most effective way of tackling this issue.  Some children start fire setting from the age of 3 with the behaviour peaking at 8 years and another peak at age 13 years.  This can be either as part of anti-social behaviour or seeking excitement.  The majority of children who set fires are boys, with a ratio of 4 or 5:1 against girls.  If the behaviour is not treated, then it can continue into adulthood. 

Fire setting in children is often linked with other factors of social exclusion and persistent fire setting behaviour tends to be linked with less stable homes including factors such as absent fathers, poor supervision, harsh or inconsistent discipline, violence and parental substance misuse.  It may be managed in one environment e.g. residential care but may re-emerge if the child returns to their home environment and the underlying behaviour is not addressed. 

Some tell tale signs of fire setting behaviour: 

• Small burns in the carpet 

• Charred paper in sinks and bins 

• Matches or lighters hidden in a child’s bedroom 

• An unusual fascination with fire 

• Inexplicable fires in or around the home 

Motivation for fire setting behaviour is a key issue.  It is seen as arising from: 

• Curiosity 

• Excitement and attention-seeking behaviour 

• Angry, frustrated or revengeful feelings 

• Being part of a group of delinquent or gang fire setters 

• As a result of mental illness 

 

A good preventative service may help to deter the behaviour leading to the setting of more serious fires and address child welfare and protection issues.  Once the child develops a reputation for fire setting this can have serious implications for their future care and education.  It is important that re-assessment takes place to ensure that this is addressed as behaviour improves. 

Initial Referral 

If the police, any professional or member of the community becomes aware of any fire setting behaviour by a child or young person they should refer to LCC Fire and Rescue Service.  Consideration should be given to completing an Early Help Assessment.  Following the outcome of this assessment a referral to Social Care or Police may be required.  Where there are clear concerns about significant harm, a referral should be made immediately to Social Care.  For any young person over the age of 10 years a referral to LCC Youth Justice Service should be considered. 

When the Fire and Rescue Service become aware of a child/young person’s fire setting behaviour they will consider whether there are any safeguarding issues for the child and whether there are any immediate hazards.  If this is the case, they should refer to Social Care. 

Where the motivation for fire setting is seen as a curiosity and there are no other child welfare issues the Fire and Rescue Service will offer an education service and take no further action. 

Inter-agency Assessment 

Where the motivation is seen to be other than curiosity and there are other child welfare issues, the Fire and Rescue Service will refer the child/young person to Social Care for an assessment under S17 or S47 of the Children Act 1989.  This should be accompanied by a completed risk assessment using the Fire Setters Motivation Questionnaire. (see appendix 2) 

If it deemed appropriate, Social Care will make a referral to CAMHS.  This should be accompanied by a copy of the initial or core assessment and the SFRS risk assessment.  Parents will be informed that this will be undertaken, and their agreement sought. 

 

June 2023  

Appendix 1 

 

FIRE SETTER (MOTIVATION QUESTIONNAIRE) RISK ASSESSMENT 

 

This assessment is for use by Fire Officers to ascertain the level of concern of young people involved in fire setting. 

 

Many children and young people light fires.  If you have lit fires you might like to complete this questionnaire.  If you do it will help us to: 

 

• Tell you what it means 

• Help you to stop setting fires to things 

• Get help for you with any other problems you may have 

 

 

Your name:       Your age: 

Today’s Date:      Gender: 

 

YOU CAN FILL IN THIS QUESTIONNAIRE BY SIMPLY PUTTING A RING AROUND YOUR ANSWERS 

 

For example: 

 

 

OFTEN   SOMETIMES   NEVER 

 

 

Thank you for your help. 

 

 

 

 

Section 1: WHAT HAVE YOU SET FIRE TO?    Please CIRCLE your answers 

 

1 

Have you ever set a fire? 

 

YES 

NO 

2 

Have you played with matches? 

OFTEN 

 

SOMETIMES 

NEVER 

3 

Have you set small fires in your home area? 

OFTEN 

SOMETIMES 

NEVER 

4 

Do you stay to watch a fire after you have lit it? 

OFTEN 

SOMETIMES 

NEVER 

5 

Have you set fire to a pile of rubbish? 

 

YES 

NO 

6 

Have you set fire to paper in your bedroom? 

 

YES 

NO 

7 

Have you set fire to a dustbin? 

 

YES 

NO 

8 

Have you set fire to other people’s things at home? 

 

YES 

NO 

9 

Have you set fire to a rubbish skip? 

 

YES 

NO 

10 

Have you set fire to curtains? 

 

YES 

NO 

11 

Have you set fire to grass? 

 

YES 

NO 

12 

Have you set fire to a haystack or a barn? 

 

YES 

NO 

13 

Have you set fire to an empty building? 

 

YES 

NO 

14 

Have you set fire to a car? 

 

YES 

NO 

15 

Have your fires caused any damage? 

 

YES 

NO 

16 

Have you set fire in your own home? 

 

YES 

NO 

17 

Have you set fire to someone else’s home? 

 

YES 

NO 

18 

Have you started a fire with petrol or other bomb? 

 

YES 

NO 

19 

Have you set fire to a school? 

 

YES 

NO 

20 

Have you set fire to a factory or warehouse? 

 

YES 

NO 

21 

Have you set fire to a shop, pub or cinema? 

 

YES 

NO 

22 

Have you set fire to a library, hospital etc? 

 

YES 

NO 

23 

Have you set fire to a building with people in it? 

 

YES 

NO 

24 

If you have set fire to something other than the above please write it here. 

 

YES 

NO 

 

 

 

Section 2: ABOUT MY FIRES 

1 

If you light a fire you get caught 

HARDLY EVER 

QUITE OFTEN 

ALWAYS 

 

2 

My fires are accidental 

ALWAYS 

SOMETIMES 

NEVER 

 

3 

Have you set fires to deliberately destroy things? 

OFTEN 

SOMETIMES 

NEVER 

4 

Do you light fires when you are upset? 

OFTEN 

SOMETIMES 

NEVER 

5 

Do you set fires after problems at school? 

OFTEN 

SOMETIMES 

NEVER 

6 

Do you set fires when you are bored? 

OFTEN 

SOMETIMES 

NEVER 

7 

Does lighting a fire make you feel better rather than talking about your problems? 

OFTEN 

SOMETIMES 

NEVER 

8 

Do you set fires when you are angry? 

OFTEN 

SOMETIMES 

NEVER 

9 

Do you set fires when things have gone wrong at home? 

OFTEN 

SOMETIMES 

NEVER 

10 

Do you plan out your fires carefully in advance? 

OFTEN 

SOMETIMES 

NEVER 

11 

Have you set fires that the police would like to know about? 

OFTEN 

SOMETIMES 

NEVER 

12 

Do you dream about fires? 

OFTEN 

SOMETIMES 

NEVER 

 

13 

Have you accidentally burnt yourself? 

OFTEN 

SOMETIMES 

NEVER 

14 

Do you enjoy watching things burn? 

 

YES 

NO 

15 

Do you usually light fires … 

 

ALONE 

WITH A FRIEND 

WITH A GROUP 

16 

Would you like to burn down your school? 

YES 

SOMETIMES 

NO 

17 

Does a fire help you to get your own back on people? 

YES 

SOMETIMES 

NO 

18 

Does lighting a fire get rid of angry feelings? 

OFTEN 

SOMETIMES 

NEVER 

19 

Do you enjoy watching fire engines? 

OFTEN 

SOMETIMES 

NEVER 

20 

How many of your fires have lit fires? 

A LOT 

A FEW 

NONE 

21 

Does a fire make you feel excited? 

ALWAYS 

SOMETIMES 

NEVER 

22 

Are you blamed for fires that you didn’t light? 

ALWAYS 

SOMETIMES 

NEVER 

23 

Do fires help you to get rid of problems on your mind? 

OFTEN 

SOMETIMES 

NEVER 

24 

Do you feel guilty after you have lit a fire? 

OFTEN 

SOMETIMES 

NEVER 

25 

Do you think about fires during the day? 

OFTEN 

SOMETIMES 

NEVER 

26 

Do you get worried about a fire before you light it? 

OFTEN 

SOMETIMES 

NEVER 

27 

Do you set fires to get you own back on people? 

OFTEN 

SOMETIMES 

NEVER 

 

 

Section 3:  ABOUT MYSELF 

 

1 

 

Do you feel fed up with living? 

OFTEN 

SOMETIMES 

NEVER 

2 

 

Have you ever taken something that wasn’t yours? 

OFTEN 

SOMETIMES 

NEVER 

3 

 

Do you really hate school? 

YES 

SOMETIMES 

NO 

4 

 

Do your parents understand you? 

MOSTLY 

SOMETIMES 

NEVER 

5 

 

Do you find it difficult to get on with others? 

YES 

SOMETIMES 

NEVER 

6 

 

Are you upset about things at home? 

OFTEN 

SOMETIMES 

RARELY 

7 

 

Are you in a gang? 

 

YES 

NO 

8 

 

Is there someone living at home that you don’t like? 

 

YES 

NO 

9 

 

As a person, do you think that you are: 

A FAILURE 

IN BETWEEN 

SUCCESSFUL 

10 

 

Do you miss school through truanting? 

A LOT 

SOMETIMES 

NEVER 

11 

 

I have lit fires for 

A YEAR OR LESS 

1 – 4 YEARS 

5 OR MORE YEARS 

12 

 

Have other people in your family also lit fires? 

 

YES 

NO 

13 

 

How many spare time hobbies and interests do you have? 

NONE 

A FEW 

QUITE A LOT 

14 

 

How many fires do you think you have started? 

1 – 5          6 – 10          11 – 20          21+ 

15 

 

How much help have you had to stop lighting fires? 

A LOT 

SOME 

NONE 

16 

 

Would you like to be able to stop lighting fires? 

YES 

SOMETIMES 

NO