Responses of children and adolescents to a fire in their homes

House fires are a common occurrence in the United States, often happening as isolated, personal disasters. This qualitative study examines the responses of 12 children, ages 6 to 17, who were survivors of 12 separate home fires in a Mid-Atlantic city. Two thirds of the families involved were single-parent families receiving public welfare. Children were interviewed between three and four months after the fire. Nine categories concerning the fire experience and its aftermath were identified: exposure, loss, displacement, attribution, stress responses, changes in relationships, self-report of changes in behavior, child's perception of parent's stress and child's view of adulthood and the future. Psychosocial themes that emerged included a sense of fear and blame, sleep disturbances, and a sense of vulnerability. Parents rated their children on a quantitative measure of behavior and social competence. The behavior rating scale revealed that half of the parents rated their child's adjustment after the fire as not normal. Children's reactions to larger-scale disasters are indicated. Implications of these findings for social work practice are discussed.This study was supported by a grant from the Hassel Foundation, Philadelphia, PA.