Cristina Soeiro, a psychologist with the Polícia Judiciária (Portuguese Judicial Police) has been studying the profile of arsonists for 28 years. (Photo by Raquel Wise/Sábado)

In a study of 450 suspected rural arsonists in Portugal, 39 percent had mental health problems and 38 percent had been linked to alcohol consumption. Among recidivist arsonists, mental disorders are highly associated with comorbid alcoholism.

Cristina Soeiro, a psychologist with the Polícia Judiciária (Portuguese Judicial Police), called for intervention -- treatment or medication -- for this type of arsonist, not just control. Increasing prison sentences is not the solution, she said.

The study's subjects had been arrested by the Polícia Judiciária (Portuguese Judicial Police) between 2015 and 2020.

Portugal is not alone in its history of arsonists.

Globally, about 50 percent to 95 percent rural fires are set deliberately, according to A typology of rural arsonists: characterizing patterns of criminal behavior (August 2025), Psychology, Crime & Law, by Rita Ribeiro, Tânia Querido, Duarte Teles & Cristina Soerio.

For example, in Australia, more than 60,000 bushfires are registered annually, almost half of which are deliberately set, resulting in millions of dollars spent annually. In Portugal, in a decade, more than 100,000 cases of arson were reported (Estatísticas de Justiça, 2021, Sistema de Segurança Interna, 2020), of which 86,503 were in rural areas, resulting in about 8,000 cases of rural arson per year and more than 2 million acres burned (Sistema de Segurança Interna, 2020).

"Despite its prevalence in several countries, few studies have examined the characteristics and typologies of rural arsonists, contributing to the continuing lack of awareness of rural crime," according to A typology of rural arsonists: characterizing patterns of criminal behavior (August 2025).

The study attempted to draw a clearer picture of rural arsonists -- as opposed to urban arsonists -- than there has been in the past, one based on psychosocial and sociodemographic characteristics and criminal patterns in the Portuguese context.

Schizophrenia Is Very Prevalent

Arsonists can be distinguished, generally, by several psychological characteristics, including emotional/self-regulation and self-concept issues. Psychiatric history/mental disorder is present in a disproportional way in arsonists.

Schizophrenia is one of the most prevalent mental disorders. Also, one-third of arsonists may have a personality disorder. Compared to other offenders, some studies suggest that arsonists have a higher prevalence of personality disorders.

In addition, among recidivist arsonists, mental disorders are highly associated with comorbid alcoholism. The abuse of substances by arsonists, particularly alcohol, is commonly reported in the literature and is considered one of the risk factors for arson.

Learning disabilities, which are not mental illnesses, are also very prevalent.

Three Groups of Rural Arsonists

In the study's resultant typology, there are three groups of rural arsonists: Expressive -- Mental Health Problems (39 percent); Expressive -- Alcohol Consumption (38 percent), and Instrumental -- Socially Adjusted (23 percent).

One of the study's authors, Cristina Soeiro, who has been studying the profile of arsonists for 28 years, explained the profiles in the podcast Direito à Justiça (Right to Justice), of Renascença (July 22) to João Massano, Bastonário da Ordem dos Advogados Portugueses (President of the Portuguese Bar Association):

"Instrumentalists are individuals who use fire in a planned way, with a specific objective.

"For example, a person who herds livestock in an inland area of the country needs to pass through a place where there is a lot of uncleared land. This can be the beginning of an arson situation. It happens sometimes. They knew that they shouldn't have done it. They did it and lost control. Sometimes they say, 'Ah, but my goal was to burn this small patch here. Now, I can't control it.

"These people are socially integrated and are part of a family.

"Here, fines work well and are rehabilitative."

Expressive Behavior

However, the most common cases are expressive behaviors.

In this category, there is "a group characterized by its pattern of alcohol consumption and difficulty integrating into the community."

Cristina Soeiro said that "alcohol facilitates bad decisions", but it is not the main reason for the ignition of these behaviors, which often result from emotions and states of mind "such as boredom, anger, revenge and the need to attract attention".

Rehabilitation of these arsonists is more difficult. Mental health issues are often the cause of the act. The arsonists often act without a clear explanation.

Although alcohol-related issues are predominant, use of other drugs is starting to emerge nowadays, although it is still residual.

More Men

Last year, 22 women were arrested for arson out of a total of 98 people. They represent about 20 percent, "a level that has remained consistent over time", said Soeiro.

Why do they commit arson?

"The women have motivations linked to their relationships with family members and to attract attention. Many have problems with ex-husbands, with their partners, resentment, revenge, etc."

She gave an example of a woman who lived in the country's interior who told her:

"This is the busiest day of my life. The police are here. The firefighters are here. And all I get to talk to is the chickens. My husband leaves and doesn't pay any attention to me."

Unlike men, "women do not need alcohol as a disinhibitor to commit the crime, although they are sometimes under the influence of other medications. Many women are in a state of depression."

Men, on the other hand, "use fire as a way to solve their social problems, which are not always clear."

In the Central Region, Some Are University Students

In the north of the country, there are records of arsonists with higher education in the field of agriculture, who are exhibiting risky arsonist behavior.

In the central region, there are some university students who start rural fires.

"These are people who have deep depression associated with other problems, and the fire ends up being an expression, a release response," said the psychologist.

She said that 19 percent of the individuals studied, who also were the youngest, "either return to the scene with the firefighters, or stay to watch and help fight the flames", an occurrence which she also has cited in the past.

Cristina Soeiro pointed out that people are leaving urban centers more often now.

"The human fabric of the interior is changing. For example, in the past three years, we have started to have many people whose profession is associated with civil construction. They are people who do jobs. They are not engineers, but they work on construction sites."

Half of Arsonists Don't Know who Owns Land

"More than 50 percent of the individuals identified as being involved in rural or forest fires don't even know who owns the land," said Cristina Soeiro.

The most common age is between 40 and 50 years old, "but we also have many older individuals, 60, 70 years old".

"There are many individuals in their 50s, for example, who live with their parents, have not managed to become independent and do odd jobs in the forests. They have few social skills, or they have problems integrating into the community."

Not Doing It for the Money

In the Renascença podcast, the president of the bar association, João Massano, asked

the expert whether fires were started to get the wood. Cristina Soeiro said that it is an occurrence, though not common. Among those living on a subsistence level, "not people with great resources", there were one or two cases. She said that there are some exceptions, in the north, people with "bad practices" and higher education in agriculture who have suffered the consequences of court sentences.

She pointed out that laws were changed to reduce the price of burnt wood, making this reason for starting fires less attractive.

"These economic motivations are not a very common pattern. The most common causes of fires are everyday situations," said the arson specialist, adding that "some individuals, who are few, receive a sum of money for starting fires, amounts that are very small, between 50 and 100 euros. And in the 2025 report, not a single case like that appears."

Surveillance of Repeat Offenders

In the podcast Direito à Justiça (Right to Justice), by Renascença (July 22) in partnership with the Ordem dos Advogados (Portuguese Bar Association), the psychologist said that in 17 percent to 20 percent of arson cases, the individuals had committed the act before. The authorities have identified some of these repeat offenders.

"During the summer months, certain people are confined. There are individuals who are monitored by the police. The Guarda Republica Nacional (GNR) and the Polícia Judiciária (PJ) have some individuals with whom they sometimes carry out preventative measures as early as May, visiting the person," said Soeiro, explaining that some wear an electronic bracelet and are under surveillance.

Intervention Is Key

Although many rural and urban arson offenses are reported annually in several countries, detention rates are low. In a rural setting, for example, Portugal registered 5,908 cases of rural arson in 2020, of which only 2 percent resulted in detention or arrest (Estatísticas da Justiça, 2021). A similar scenario can be found in Turkey, Australia and Spain.

"We need to work on intervention; if there's an individual with alcohol problems and serious psychological issues, that's where we need to intervene, and it's not work done in isolation by the justice system. It's multidisciplinary," Cristina Soeiro.

"These are people who need intervention (treatment or medication), not just control. This is what reduces risky behavior."

Intervention still needs more development and investment. Increasing sentences is not the solution for these people.

"If we could intervene with people in a holistic way, it would be better than increasing sentences," said the psychologist. "If we keep people imprisoned and do nothing with them, it's pointless."

Community Work for Instrumentalists

Highlighting that "we have a huge percentage of people who need specific (health) prevention, there are things which can be resolved in the community, for example, explaining how to properly control a controlled burn."

Also, restorative justice, with community work, sometimes has a great effect on the instrumentalists because "most of those involved do not have a criminal record".

Prevention Through Education

The psychologist emphasized prevention through education.

"Everything that is done in schools, with young children, about the importance of forest areas, about our responsibility as citizens, is very important.

"We are all responsible for the forest and, when fires occur, it is necessary to show the burned area (by the media). Don't just show the flames. Show the consequences of the flames."

Arson Statistics

About 31 percent of fires investigated (81 percent of the total of 8,235 fires) from January 2025 to October 2025 were caused by arson, the Instituto da Conservação da Natureza e das Florestas (ICNF -- Institute for Nature Conservation and Forests) stated in its provisional report. Other causes included extensive burning of forest or agricultural residues (9 percent) and burning of piled forest or agricultural residues (6 percent). The various types of burning activities combined accounted for 23 percent and reignitions for 11 percent.

Rekindling of poorly extinguished fires, equipment and power line failures, machinery accidents and natural phenomenon such as lightning strikes are other causes for rural fires, reported Safe Communities Portugal.

The Sistema da Gestão Integrada de Fogos Rurais (Agency for Integrated Rural Fire Management) underscored the complexity of fire causes. In its 2025 report, it said that only 70 percent of the fires investigated had a determined cause.

Contributions to Wildfires

In Portugal and other countries, many factors contribute to wildfires, such as hot temperatures, drought, uncleared land and unknown landowners, non-native flammable eucalyptus trees and high winds. They do not cause them.