Pyromania is an impulse-control disorder characterized by the deliberate setting of fires to relieve tension or achieve gratification. It is distinct from arson for monetary gain or other reasons and is rooted in a fascination with fire. This is a serious condition that requires specialized clinical attention.

Common Symptoms or Things to Look Out For:

• Deliberate and purposeful fire setting on more than one occasion.
• Tension or affective arousal before the act.
• Fascination with, interest in, curiosity about, or attraction to fire and its situational contexts.
• Pleasure, gratification, or relief when setting fires or when witnessing or participating in their aftermath.
• The fire setting is not done for monetary gain, as an expression of sociopolitical ideology, to conceal criminal activity, to express anger or vengeance, to improve one’s living circumstances, in response to a delusion or hallucination, or as a result of impaired judgment.