ABSTRACT

Deliberate firesetting presents a significant problem worldwide in terms of injury, fatality, and economic cost. Individuals who set deliberate fires are frequently encountered by clinicians working in secure settings. Deliberate firesetting not only presents a problem in terms of the assessment and treatment of those admitted to secure (forensic) services with a history of such offending but also poses a problem in terms of risk management within these settings. In addition to reports of the effectiveness of generic interventions with firesetters, there have been some reports of more specialised individual and group interventions. While the Australian Centre for Arson Research and Treatment (ACART) programme represents a positive step in the development of specialist interventions for individuals who have set fires, it remains in the pilot phase of implementation. Researchers and clinicians also need to develop knowledge and understanding regarding specialist firesetting interventions for adult firesetters.