COSTA MESA : Kids Learn Cautious Use of Matches

Six-year-old Corey McCartney has set two fires.

A smoldering stack of newspapers and his guilty conscience were the only traces of his brief encounter with a book of matches. Despite his tearful confession, his parents were frightened.

How do you explain to a child that his game by the trash bins could have killed someone, even his family, they wondered? And what if the game turned into a dangerous habit? It was enough to send them looking for help.

“It was not very big, but it was big enough to concern us,” said Corey’s father, Jon Shamrell.

“He needed to understand the long-range consequences of what he was doing,” added his mother, Leslie Shamrell.

The Shamrells turned to the Costa Mesa Fire Department and its free Match as a Tool program, where they quickly learned that their son was not alone.

Although alarming, Corey’s budding interest in fire was not unusual, said Suzanne Freeman, who teaches the department’s fire education programs. In fact, it is even considered normal for a curious kid who grows up with fireplaces, candles and beach bonfires.

“Typically, all children start fires,” she said. “It is a normal thing. It is interesting, fascinating, and it always has been no matter how old you are.”

Since the program began five years ago, Freeman said, dozens of youthful fire starters have graduated into young fire marshals, gaining a new respect for what they thought was a game. They quickly learn, with the help of their parents, that fire has its place.

“We want the children to know that fire is to be used for good things,” Freeman said.

Match as a Tool isn’t about stern lectures or a lot of finger-pointing. There are no pictures of burned bodies or “Just Say No” posters. It is a hands-on approach to get children to think about and understand fire.

First, the children get a book of matches. They learn how to close the matchbook and strike the match away from themselves, and how to put out the flame. They must do this 200 times, in hopes that a little overkill might quench their curiosity, Freeman said.

Personal safety is a key theme, Freeman said. Children are required to plan a fire escape route in their home, make a list of their possessions and check smoke detectors to ensure they are in working order. Older kids may meet burn survivors, read articles about fires or take a trip to Juvenile Hall to drive home where dangerous fire practices can lead.

So far, Freeman said, there haven’t been any repeat offenders, even among the more serious cases. But about a third of the children in the program are said to need further help because their fire-starting signals something deeper.

In those cases, there usually has been some recent stress such as a death in the family or a divorce that triggers the child to act out its confusion and anger destructively, she said. When this is discovered in an initial evaluation process, the child and parents are referred for counseling.

During a recent mandatory tour of a fire station, Corey was embarrassed about what he had done and didn’t want to talk about it. Instead, he strolled around the station, jumping on the fire engine and peppering firefighter Scott Broussard with questions.

His parents were relieved. “It was the best thing we could have done for him,” Leslie Shamrell said.

Asked if he was going to be setting any more fires, Corey answered: “No way.”