Pyromania

This article provides an overview of pyromania, including the signs and symptoms, causes, complications, and treatment/management approaches.

Key Takeaways:

• Pyromania is a mental disorder characterized by deliberate and purposeful fire setting. It’s primarily due to a strong urge or impulse, followed by relief or pleasure after starting the fire.
• It most commonly occurs in adolescents and young adults. The behaviors often get worse over time, especially when this disorder starts at an early age.
• Pyromania can often be treated successfully through early intervention, such as with medication, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and other interventions.

Understanding Pyromania

Pyromania, sometimes referred to as pathological fire setting, is a mental disorder characterized by deliberate and purposeful fire setting. It is listed under the “Disruptive, Impulse-Control, and Conduct Disorders” in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5). ^[1]

It was long debated whether pyromania constituted an actual mental disorder or if it was a product of criminal activity. Through further research and analysis of human behavior over the years, pyromania is now known to be distinct from those other cases, which is why it has its own classification. ^{[1] [2]}

Individuals with pyromania have a strong fascination with fire and fire-related settings. They often experience tension and strong urges before fire setting, which is followed by gratification or relief afterwards. Together, these emotional factors likely perpetuate the fire-setting behaviors, making it hard to stop. ^[1]

How Common is It?

Pyromania is a rare mental disorder. The exact rates aren’t well-known due to very limited research. The lifetime prevalence of fire setting in the general population is around 1%, but this doesn’t constitute a pyromania diagnosis. Even in individuals with repeated fire-setting behaviors, only around 3% are diagnosed with pyromania. ^{[1] [2]}

Fire setting occurs more commonly in men than women, with prevalence rates of 1.7 and 0.4%, respectively. Some estimates suggest that pyromania is 5 to 10 times more common in men than women, although research is limited.

The mean age of diagnosis for pyromania is age 18. It is most common in adolescents and young adults. It is also more common in people with lower than average intelligence, accounting for about 70% of cases. ^[1]

Symptoms of Pyromania

Identifying a pyromaniac is sometimes difficult. The primary symptoms of pyromania are: ^{[1] [2] [3]}

• Deliberate and purposeful fire setting on more than one occasion
• Tension or arousal before starting fires
• Relief, gratification, or pleasure after setting fires
• Strong attraction to or fascination with fire
• Heightened interest and curiosity about fire and fire-related contexts

Unlike other impulse control disorders, individuals with pyromania often deliberately plan their behaviors beforehand.

It’s also important to understand that these individuals don’t set fires due to a criminal motive, to express anger or vengeance, or as a result of intoxication or psychiatric disorders. Rather, their main motive for fire setting is that it gives them satisfaction and relieves the build-up of tension or urges. ^{[1] [3]}

Signs Someone Has Pyromania

In addition to the above symptoms, there are some specific signs that can help determine if someone has pyromania. Since it is most common in adolescents and young adults, it’s important for parents and caregivers to watch out for these signs: ^[3]

• Excessive or unnecessary number of matches or lighters
• Burn holes, such as in clothes, rugs, or sheets
• Burnt items in the house and surrounding area (e.g. in garbage cans, near the stove, in the sink)

Children with pyromania also spend a lot of time thinking about and interacting with fire-related themes and settings. They may frequently visit fire departments, look up videos about fires, spend time with firefighters, and collect fire-related paraphernalia.

Causes

The exact causes of pyromania are relatively unknown. However, many individuals with pyromania have other mental health disorders, which some researchers believe indicates a genetic link that influences overall psychopathology risk. ^[3]

For example, one study found that more than 90% of individuals with pyromania had co-occuring diagnoses of mood, impulse control, and/or substance use disorders. In the same study, one-third of these individuals considered suicide as a way to control their fire setting. ^[4]

Brain abnormalities may also be a possible cause, however the evidence for this is small. ^[1]

Other risk factors have been shown to increase the likelihood of pyromania, such as: ^{[1] [4]}

• Maltreatment and abuse
• Family stress
• Interpersonal conflict
• Feelings of inadequacy
• Boredom

Is Pyromania Linked to Other Problematic Behaviors?

Yes, pyromania is linked to several other problematic behaviors and disorders. Individuals with pyromania often have other disruptive, impulse control, and conduct disorders, such as kleptomania and oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), with research indicating a comorbidity rate of 48%. ^[1]

It is also commonly linked to alcohol use disorder, other substance use disorders, and gambling disorder. Even when individuals are in remission, they have a greater risk of engaging in other impulsive or compulsive behaviors, such as gambling or substance use. ^{[1] [4]}

The MacDonald Triad

The MacDonald triad refers to three specific behaviors that are said to predict future violent or antisocial behaviors:

• Bed-wetting in childhood
• Fire setting
• Cruelty to animals

However, further research has not held up this link, particularly indicating no causal link between bed-wetting and fire setting behaviors. ^{[1] [3]}

Risks and Complications

Pyromania has a number of possible risks and complications, many of which are serious, such as: ^{[1] [3]}

• Injury to oneself or others
• Severe instances can lead to hospitalization or death
• Property damage
• Imprisonment

And while some individuals feel pleasure after setting fires, many with pyromania may also feel shame, distress, guilt, embarrassment, and other negative emotions. Some research shows that 90% of individuals with pyromania experienced distress after setting fires ^{[4] [5]}

Pyromania is also associated with an increased risk of anxiety, depression, and suicidality. Around 62% of individuals with pyromania have comorbid mood disorders, such as major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder. ^{[1] [4]}

Importantly, the frequency and intensity of fire setting tends to increase over time, especially when it starts in adolescence or early adulthood. Therefore, it can often be a significant disruption and risk factor throughout one’s entire life, if left untreated. ^[4]

Diagnosing Pyromania

Pyromania is diagnosed by a qualified mental health professional, such as a psychiatrist or psychologist. The diagnostic process requires a detailed, comprehensive observation and analysis in order to ensure accuracy, especially since there are other causes for fire setting.

If you think you may have pyromania, a mental health professional will conduct a comprehensive psychological evaluation. They will go over your history, past and present behaviors, motivations for fire setting, and other important factors.

All of this information is compared to the following diagnostic criteria in the DSM-5 for pyromania: ^[1]

• Deliberate and purposeful fire setting more than once
• Tension or affective arousal before starting fires
• Fascination with, interest in, curiosity about, or attraction to fire and its situational contexts (e.g. paraphernalia, uses, consequences)
• Pleasure, gratification, or relief when setting fires or when observing or participating in their aftermath
• The fire setting is not done for monetary gain, due to expression of sociopolitical ideology, to cover up criminal activity, to express anger or vengeance, to improve one’s living circumstances, due to a hallucination or delusion, or as a result of impaired judgment, such as from major neurocognitive disorder, intellectual disability, or substance intoxication
• Fire setting is not better explained by conduct disorder, a manic episode, or antisocial personality disorder

Difficulties in Diagnosing Pyromania

One of the major difficulties in diagnosing pyromania is that fire setting can have many causes. Therefore, careful consideration is needed to exclude other causes of fire setting, such as for revenge, as an act of protest, as part of childhood experimentation, or due to a psychiatric disorder or drug use.

Treatment Approaches

Pyromania may get worse over time, especially if it starts at an early age, which makes treatment highly important. The most common treatments for pyromania are cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and various medications.

CBT is a form of psychotherapy that helps individuals identify and challenge their current thoughts and behaviors that may be causing issues, so that they can adopt healthier, more adaptive ones. For pyromania specifically, CBT may help reduce the urges and tension surrounding fire setting. In addition to changing a person’s relationship to their distressing thoughts and emotions, DBT often involves relaxation or stress management techniques to help manage urges and impulses. ^{[3] [5]}

Some of the medications that may be used for pyromania include: ^{[3] [4] [6]}

• Selective-serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs):
• e.g. escitalopram, sertraline, fluoxetine
• Antiepileptic medications:
• e.g. topiramate, valproic acid
• Atypical antipsychotics
• e.g. olanzapine
• Lithium

Other treatments that may be useful include: ^[1]

• Parent training: teaches parents how to manage their child’s behavior, such as through positive reinforcement and consistent discipline
• Relaxation training

Living with Pyromania

Living with pyromania can cause significant distress. If you have pyromania, you may become isolated, feel unable to control your behaviors, and experience a variety of negative emotions, such as shame or guilt.

The following tips can make living with pyromania less disruptive, while increasing the likelihood of more positive outcomes:

• Seek support from family and friends
• Communicate with them about your condition
• Invite them to check in on you regularly
• Use stress management and relaxation strategies, such as meditation
• Spend time doing enjoyable activities
• Take part in fire safety education and related trainings

Helping Someone with Pyromania

If you know someone with pyromania, you can potentially help them by:

• Encouraging or directing them to professional treatment
• Keeping note of their triggers, such as specific places or emotional states
• Offering encouragement and support

Author

Jack Cincotta

Jack Cincotta holds a M.S. degree in Psychology. He is also a board-certified holistic health practitioner through AADP and an AFPA-certified holistic health coach and nutritionist.

Activity History - Last updated: March 19, 2026, Published date: March 19, 2026

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Reviewer

Morgan Blair

Morgan Blair has seventeen years of experience living with, studying, and treating eating disorders. When struggling with her eating disorder, she personally attended leading treatment facilities and witnessed firsthand the facility's inability to recognize her unique needs, which sparked her desire for advocacy and change.

Activity History - Medically reviewed on April 10, 2026 and last checked on March 19, 2026