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Every hour of every day in Australia at least one arson fire is lit. Arson costs this country in the region of $157 million every year in direct property losses alone. This figure does not include the loss of life and personal injury suffered by those involved in escaping the flames or fighting the fire (Insurance Council of Australia 1998). Deliberate firesetting, or “arson” as it is generally legally defined, is on the increase in Australia. I tend to use the terms “arson” and “firesetting” interchangeably. The legal definition for deliberate firesetting leading to the destruction of property varies between policing jurisdictions in Australia. However, the term “arson” is commonly acknowledged as a legal definition while firesetting describes the behaviour itself. The question is – how culpable are the people responsible? As a mental health professional I have been exploring the mind and behaviour of deliberate firesetters across several continents over many years. This website represents part of my overall philosophy, which is to keep my work practically focused and directed towards helping to address this problem in our communities
Collaborating for change: A symposium advancing bushfire arson prevention in Australia 25-26 March 2010 Melbourne, Australia Each year, thousands of bushfires are deliberately lit around Australia, causing significant damage to human life,communities, ecosystems and the economy. This symposium will bring together a wide variety of stakeholdersto set out priorities and plans for advancing the knowledge and understanding of bushfire arson prevention in Australia. See: http://www.monash.edu/research/sustainability-institute/arson_symposium.html
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