Your help is needed to reduce the risk of arson in our community. If you suspect someone has set a fire, please contact Red Deer Emergency Services. Experimentation is not a natural phase that people go through. Intervention and education can make a difference.
Fires are often set using trash and in buildings under construction, cars and trucks, schools and sheds.
Arson is much more prevalent than statistics indicate. Twenty seven per cent of all destructive fires in Red Deer are intentionally set.
What is arson?
Arson is the crime of intentionally setting fire to another’s building or property, or to one’s own.
There are many reasons why people set fires:
- Mischief is behind nearly half of all cases of intentionally set fires in Red Deer.
- Fraud is commonly associated with business failures, particularly during a depression when people try to collect insurance money illegally for economic or other reasons.
- Anger or Revenge are motives that stem from political or social problems.
- Juvenile Fire-Setting presents an enormous risk to children, their families, and the community. Fire involvement can be a sign of other problems in a child’s life. Fire-setting can start at any age.
While most people have a fascination with fire, young people lack the experience necessary to make appropriate decisions in regard to fire. The key to a solution for this problem lies in linking the child and their family with the appropriate agency to address the behaviour.
What are the penalties?
Arson is a crime. The penalties for fire-setting can be very severe. Sentences of imprisonment up to life may be imposed on the crime of arson.
Is arson a serious problem?
The crime of arson causes $30,000,000 in losses of public and private property in Alberta every year. The number of deaths and injuries resulting from arson fires is on the increase. In North America every year, many firefighters are injured and killed fighting arson fires.
Who pays the price?
You do. As losses increase, insurance companies must raise their rates. Arson fires in the province cost insurance companies millions of dollars annually. In turn, insurance companies recover these losses by raising insurance rates. In addition, an increase in fire service means increase in taxes. This means you pay the price.
How is arson detected?
Highly skilled Fire Investigators from Red Deer Emergency Services along with members from the RCMP use sophisticated detection techniques at each fire scene. After a fire these fire specialists sift through fire debris, and conduct on-the-scene examinations and carry out in-depth investigations to uncover vital information.
Who can help?
You can! Support by the public can reduce the increase in intentionally set fires. Public awareness campaigns have been introduced encouraging residents to take prevention measures in their neighbourhoods.
How do I protect my property?
- Maintain good housekeeping on your property; keep leaves, firewood, overgrown brush, shrubbery and other combustibles away from buildings.
- Prevent easy access by properly securing all doors and windows especially in the garage and basement areas.
- Store all flammable liquids such as paints, gasoline, thinners or lawnmowers in an approved storage location such as locked metal cabinets, locked storage units and locked garages.
- Monitor any suspicious persons and vehicles. Inform RCMP or Emergency Services of any recent problems.
- Participate in your local Neighbourhood Watch program.
Fire Safety - Take Responsibility
Parents have the primary responsibility to ensure a safe environment and teach safe behaviours. Effectively done, these lessons will impact not just the child but the community as a whole. In Alberta, children playing with fire was the leading cause of fire deaths and injuries. Children as young as two are naturally fascinated and curious about the effects of fire. It is important to teach children at an early age how to properly use fire and how destructive it can be.
What can parents do to help?
Set a good example: Install and maintain smoke alarms and fire extinguishers.
Take responsibility for fire safety: Point out to your children the fire safety rules you follow throughout the day and discuss the dangers of fire.
Control access to fire: Keep all ignition devices out of reach of children and teach them to notify an adult if they find them.
Identify telltale signs: Check in waste baskets, under the beds, and in closets for burned matches or other evidence your child is misusing fire and, if you find evidence react positively by using it as a teaching opportunity.
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