According to Cal Fire, half of all arson fires involve people 17 or younger. Without early intervention, an estimated 80% of these young people continue this dangerous behavior. However, in Shasta County, a specialized prevention program reports a 98% success rate in preventing repeat incidents.
Jas Shaw, co-founder of the Youth Fire Prevention Program, said the program grew out of a 2007 house fire in which she and her daughter were seriously burned.
Shaw said her home did not have working smoke detectors or a clear exit plan. The experience motivated her to help prevent similar incidents.
Since 2014, the program has worked with more than 400 children, identifying risks, assessing behavior and providing education.
The program focuses on underlying causes, using screening tools developed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency to assess risk.
Shaw said roughly 90% of referred youths have experienced trauma or abuse.
“Once we deal with the underlying crisis that’s happening, the fire setting stops,” she said.
Children ages 5 to 9 are considered a higher-risk group because they are more likely to set fires indoors, which increases the risk of injury or death.
The program involves families in the process, including parents and siblings. Youth attend an academy where they learn that fire is a tool that must be used carefully, not something to play with.
Shaw said the program has drawn interest from fire agencies and first responders across California.
She said the approach emphasizes intervention and support, including mental health resources, rather than relying solely on the juvenile justice system.
For families, Shaw said intervention should begin the moment a child experiments with fire unsupervised.
Guest
- Jas Shaw, youth fire preventioin specialist, Youth Options Shasta
