Signs: What to Look For
A child or teenager may be misusing fire if you find:
A child or teenager may be misusing fire if you find:
Lighters, matches, or fireworks in a child's room, pockets, or belongings
Lighters, matches, aerosol sprays, fireworks, or flammable liquids (accelerants) in your home come up missing and/or are found in a different location than where an adult last left them
Discarded lighters or matches (e.g., in the garbage, on the ground or yard, in hidden places, etc.)
Smell of smoke or something burning without a known source
Unexplained burn/scorch marks or melted areas in carpeting, floors, toys, clothing, papers, furniture, wastebaskets, closets, outdoor areas, grass, etc.
Smell of gasoline, kerosene, alcohol-based gels, or other accelerants on a youth's clothing or in an area they have been playing
Unusual items (or remains of unusual items) in the child's room or in other areas of your home or yard such as: toilet bowl cleaner, aluminum foil, plastic pop/soda bottles, candle/hobby/craft wicks, gunpowder, CO2 cartridges, etc.
Videos or pictures of fire misuse on the youth's cell phone, computer, mobile device, or related posts on their online social media and video accounts
Even if a youth has not misused fire, they may be at a higher risk for future misuse if they:
Show an extreme fascination or interest in fire
Have observed others misusing fire (including adults)
Frequently view online videos, blogs, social media posts, or websites that have a focus on or display unsafe fire use
Frequently play video games that involve fireballs, Molotov cocktails, explosives, flame throwers, and other dangerous uses of fire