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There are many children in Oregon who are
curious about fire and set one as a result of the curiosity. There are
other children who use fire setting to get even with someone with whom they are
struggling. Regardless of the child, the adults in the home are
responsible for the damage caused from the result of a child’s actions.
 Parents, do you have any idea how much it costs to suppress a wildfire set by a
child? In the past five years, 144 fires set by children burned 277 acres and cost $743,754 to suppress on state
protected lands in Oregon. If my math is correct, that’s approximately
$5,165 per fire. There goes the summer vacation!
Juvenile-set fires are the
fifth-leading cause of human-caused wildfires on state
protected lands in Oregon.
It is critical to keep matches and lighters out of the hands of children.
Children are naturally curious, and if the opportunity arises, they may use the dry grass out behind the house to see what the match can really do. The wind picks up the fire and a wildfire results.
Whose fault is that? An older person in the house is, of course, for leaving the igniter where the child could reach it.
Matches and lighters are tool, not toys. They are for adults to use to light
fires to keep us warm, light candles on birthday cakes or light barbeques to cook on. They are not meant to be used by children. Keep all matches, lighters, and other types of igniters up
high and out of their reach.
“This is absolutely the responsibility of the adults in the home,” said Steve
Wilson, fire prevention manager for the Oregon Department of Forestry.
“They, and only they, are responsible for keeping igniters away from their
children." Parents are responsible for the damages and suppression
costs of not more than $5,000 that result from a wildfire set
by their child (ORS 477.745).
Be aware of any indication that your
child is fascinated by fire, and always remember to keep igniters out of
his/her hands. Help Smokey Bear Keep Oregon
Green by preventing juvenile-caused wildfires in Oregon. 
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