In 2025, fire departments serving Auburn responded to 71 fire and hazmat incidents . Here's the full picture.
Power line down lead by count. Building fires lead by dollars. Together the top five categories make up about 61% of all calls.
Sep peaks. May dips. Watch for the typical fall climb starting in October.
299 incidents 2021–2025. Peak year was 2024.
| Year | Incidents | YoY | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 58 | — | |
| 2022 | 58 | +0.0% | |
| 2023 | 40 | -31.0% | |
| 2024 | 72 | +80.0% | |
| 2025 | 71 | -1.4% |
For the 3 building fires Auburn departments responded to in 2025, here's how they were classified once investigators were finished.
NFIRS Area of Origin (AREA_ORIG) for the 42 building fires investigators classified across 2021–2025. The room or location where ignition occurred — kitchens, bedrooms, exterior, vehicle areas — tells you where to focus prevention.
| # | Area of origin | Count | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Undetermined | 10 | 23.8% | |
| 2 | Wildland, woods | 8 | 19.0% | |
| 3 | Engine area, running gear, wheel area | 5 | 11.9% | |
| 4 | Other | 2 | 4.8% | |
| 5 | Structural area, other | 2 | 4.8% | |
| 6 | Vehicle area, other | 2 | 4.8% | |
| 7 | Operator/passenger area of transportation equip. | 2 | 4.8% | |
| 8 | Outside area, other | 2 | 4.8% | |
| 9 | Open area - outside; included are farmland, field | 2 | 4.8% | |
| 10 | Bathroom, checkroom, lavatory, locker room | 1 | 2.4% | |
| 11 | All other areas | 6 | 14.3% |
NFIRS Heat Source (HEAT_SOURC) — the physical thing that started it. Spark or ember from operating equipment, an open flame, smoking materials, or hot embers from a fireplace are the leading culprits nationwide. Here's the Auburn mix.
| # | Heat source | Count | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Undetermined | 15 | 35.7% | |
| 2 | Heat from powered equipment, other | 4 | 9.5% | |
| 3 | Arcing | 4 | 9.5% | |
| 4 | Radiated, conducted heat from operating equipment | 3 | 7.1% | |
| 5 | Hot or smoldering object, other | 3 | 7.1% | |
| 6 | Heat from undetermined smoking material | 2 | 4.8% | |
| 7 | Lightning | 2 | 4.8% | |
| 8 | Heat spread from another fire, other | 2 | 4.8% | |
| 9 | Multiple heat sources including multiple ignitions | 2 | 4.8% | |
| 10 | Spark, ember or flame from operating equipment | 1 | 2.4% | |
| 11 | All other sources | 4 | 9.5% |
Per-capita rates let us compare apples to apples. Auburn sits above the national average for incidents per resident.
Top 25 wildfires (1992+) in the FPA-FOD ignitions database, scaled by acres. 4,266 acres burned in this 50-mile radius. Each dot is a fire — bigger dots burned more land.
| Year | Cause | Acres | Distance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 800 | 37.3 mi | |
| 2008 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 700 | 37.3 mi | |
| 2018 | Debris and open burning | 314 | 43.9 mi | |
| 2003 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 300 | 49.7 mi | |
| 2002 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 300 | 37.3 mi | |
| 2014 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 256 | 37.4 mi | |
| 2015 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 250 | 37.1 mi | |
| 2016 | Arson/incendiarism | 190 | 37.3 mi | |
| 2007 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 186 | 30.4 mi | |
| 2016 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 172 | 37.2 mi | |
| 2015 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 92 | 33.3 mi | |
| 2014 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 90 | 39.4 mi |
Top 2 ZIP codes by NFIRS incident count across 2021–2025. Each ZIP has its own fire profile — dive in for neighborhood-level context.
Six New Hampshire cities with population within ±25% of Auburn. Useful comparison targets — same state, similar size, different fire profile.
1 departments report to NFIRS for incidents in Auburn.
A 30-minute weekend can cut your home's exposure substantially. These four checklists are a good starting point.
Numbers reflect incidents reported by participating fire departments to the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) Public Data Release for calendar year 2025. NFIRS is voluntary — about 23,000 of roughly 30,000 US fire departments report — so totals are a strong indicator, not a complete census. Per-capita comparisons use 2023 ACS population estimates. Wildland fire data complements NFIRS with NIFC and USFS perimeters. Active-fire counts come from a dated NIFC snapshot, not a live feed.