Arson/Juvenile Firesetting

Fire Prevention

State Fire Marshal's Office in Des Moines
Call:
1-800-532-1459

Toll Free Arson Hotline

Each year over 500 people are killed because of arson fires and cause 2 billion dollars in property damage.

A quarter of all fires are arson and over half of them are set by juveniles.

Youth Firesetting/Juvenile Arson Statistics

National Statistics

  • Juvenile firesetting accounts for half of all arrests for arson since 1994.
  • 41,900 child child experimentation fires were reported in the U.S. according to the National Fire Protection Associations "Children Playing with Fire."
  • Civilian deaths caused by juvenile firesetting were reported at 165.
  • Civilian injuries caused by juvenile firesetting were 1,901.
  • Total in direct damages caused by juvenile fire was $272 million.
  • The median age of children who started fires by experimentation was 5 years old.
  • Six to eight percent of all those arrested for arson are under age 10, a higher percentage than any other crime.
  • Most children who experiment with fires start them with lighters or matches.
  • The majority of child experimentation fires are started in bedrooms.

Iowa Statistics

  • 10-15% of all fires reported are the result of arson.
  • Arson fires result in approximately $15 million in property damage per year.
  • Nearly half of all arson fires reported in Iowa are started by juveniles.
  • Information from Iowa Department of Public Safety and State's Fire Marshal

If you have any further questions, please call:
563-344-4125
or send an email to:
Bettendorf Fire Rescue Fire Marshal