Fire holds a fascination for children. Many will play with it out of simple curiosity, but for some there is a deeper emotional problem. Fire experts warn that the match-striker of today could become the arsonist of tomorrow.

But even if a child does not start a blaze deliberately and destructively, there is always a chance that playing with matches and lighters can lead to accidental fires and potential tragedy. That is what it is thought could have happened at the Fagley home of Sonya Duggan, who had to rush her five children to safety when a bedroom went up in flames.

Fortunately in this case no-one was seriously injured. One four-year-old, who was in the bedroom where the fire began, is said to be suffering from shock. But it could have been far, far worse. The family could have become national headlines - another horrific domestic fire tragedy to add to the long list of statistics.

Small wonder that Miss Duggan is now encouraging other parents to take advantage of the courses run by the West Yorkshire Fire Service which aim to make children aware of the dangers of meddling with flames. As she says, it is impossible to know which children will be tempted to put themselves at risk. Her own boys had done nothing like this before, apparently. If is only because of good luck that their first experiment did not turn out to be their last.

The fire awareness team has had encouraging success. In its five years the number of fires involving children has been more than halved. It appears to be a worthwhile initiative well worth supporting.