About one in every four fires is intentionally set -- and almost half of these fires were set by youth under the age of 16.Arson is a serious crime. It injures and kills people, destroys properties, and destabilizes neighborhoods. According to the FBI, juvenile firesetters accounted for roughly half (at least 49%) or more of those arrested for arson -- for the ninth straight year. In 2003, 51% of those arrested were under 18, nearly one-third were under the age of 15, and 3% were under the age of 10.Studies have shown that the majority of normal children possess an interest in fire and nearly half have engaged in fire-play. For many young people, the attraction to fire leads to juvenile fire-play and Firesetting fire-starting activity that fire investigators determine to be short of arson. This behavior may be a precursor for the crime of arson. Even though the majority of child-set fires are started out of curiosity, not malice, the damage they cause, both in economic and human costs, is real and devastating. Juvenile arson and youth-set fires result in over 300 deaths and 2,000 injuries annually, and $300 million in property damage and more than 400,000 incidents annually.Juveniles who are involved in significant fires resulting in property loss, personal injury, or death can be arrested for the crime of arson. Several factors are taken into consideration for determining criminal intent, including the fire setter’s age, the nature and extent of the individual's firesetting history, and the motive and intent behind the fire setting.