Pyromania vs revenge – why do people light fires?

Australians know the devastation of bushfires all too well. So why would anyone deliberately light a fire?

In this episode of Criminal Psychology, our new four-part series on unusual crimes and unusual minds, we're exploring the psychology of arson.

Answering questions like, how does it relate to pyromania? What do we know about the profile of a typical arsonist? And how do investigators track down the source of a blaze?

Guests:

Dr Paul Read
Climate criminologist

Dr Nichola Tyler
Senior lecturer, forensic psychology
Swinburne University of Technology

Richard Woods
Director, Wildfire Investigations and Analysis
Adjunct Associate Lecturer, Wildfire Investigation, Charles Sturt University

Credits:
Presenter/producer: Sana Qadar
Senior producer: James Bullen
Producer: Rose Kerr
Sound engineer: Emrys Cronin

Extra information:

Adults with intellectual disabilities and/or autism who deliberately set fires: A systematic review

The truth about Australia's fires — arsonists aren't responsible for many this season

Some Coalition MPs say that arson is mostly to blame for the bushfire crisis. Here are the facts

Deliberately lit vegetation fires in Australia

Clinical characteristics of child and adolescent psychiatric outpatients engaging in fireplay or arson: a case–control study

What are the differences between children and adolescents who deliberately light fires?

The Acquisition of Fire