Five children under age 10 — including one barely old enough to attend school — are being blamed for several fires in the city's core area over the past week.

Two boys, five and seven years old, were apprehended and turned over to their guardians after a fire was set in a garbage bin in the 200 block of Elgin Avenue around 4 p.m. CT on Friday.

Police picked up three other boys between ages six and nine, after a fire was set in a vacant house on Alfred Avenue in the North End on Monday, causing an estimated $170,000 in damages.

Criminal Code charges cannot be laid against children under 12. All five boys were referred to the Youth Fire Stop Program, which attempts to determine why a child is setting fires, then arranges for educational programming or other assistance to put an end to the behaviour.

Officials with the program, run by the provincial fire commissioner's office, say children who set fires often do so out of curiosity about fire, to demonstrate their feelings in a crisis or as a symptom of other problems in their lives.

So far this year, police have apprehended 69 minors suspected of arson. Twenty-four were under age 12, including one10-year-old boy who was implicated in more than 30 fires.

"I know it seems there's been a lot of fires this year," said police spokeswoman Const. Jacqueline Chaput. "We are on par [with previous years] for the number of fires, but we are definitely ahead in the number of apprehensions."

In releasing information on the fires Wednesday, police reminded Winnipeggers to take steps to reduce the risk of deliberately set fires:

• Ensure matches, cigarette lighters and barbecue lighters are kept out of reach of children.
• Stores selling matches and lighters should keep them behind the counter to prevent theft.
• Place trash curbside as close to pickup time as possible. Ensure garbage and brush are kept away from structures when left for collection.
• Lock derelict vehicles and secure garages and sheds.

Discarded couches, chairs and mattresses can be a target for nuisance fires when placed beside refuse bins, police said. Residents should contact the city's customer service centre at (204) 986-5858 to notify officials about such material.

Police asked residents to report suspicious activity — such as groups of children or youth gathering in or near vacant buildings or insecure garages — to the police non-emergency line at (204) 986-6222.

"The arson rate is still high, however we are seeing a very marked difference with the public," Chaput said. "Investigators have seen a marked increase in co-operation from members of the public: people are phoning in, they're contacting them, they're taking the steps that they need to take to protect their property."

Winnipeggers with information about arson in their neighbourhood can reach the city's arson tip line at (204) 986-1000 or call CrimeStoppers at (204) 786-8477.