In 2025, fire departments serving Baldwin responded to 22 fire and hazmat incidents — from cooking fires to gas leaks to a single $13K building blaze. Here's the full picture.
Gas leak (natural gas or LPG) lead by count. Building fires lead by dollars. Together the top five categories make up about 73% of all calls.
May peaks. Sep dips. Watch for the typical fall climb starting in October.
132 incidents 2021–2025. Peak year was 2024. $345K cumulative property loss. 1 civilian deaths.
| Year | Incidents | YoY | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 24 | — | |
| 2022 | 21 | -12.5% | |
| 2023 | 30 | +42.9% | |
| 2024 | 35 | +16.7% | |
| 2025 | 22 | -37.1% |
For the 2 building fires Baldwin departments responded to in 2025, here's how they were classified once investigators were finished.
NFIRS Area of Origin (AREA_ORIG) for the 18 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 | 11 | 61.1% | |
| 2 | Bedroom - < 5 persons; included are jail or prison | 2 | 11.1% | |
| 3 | Laundry area, wash house (laundry) | 2 | 11.1% | |
| 4 | Closet | 1 | 5.6% | |
| 5 | Operator/passenger area of transportation equip. | 1 | 5.6% | |
| 6 | Engine area, running gear, wheel area | 1 | 5.6% |
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 Baldwin mix.
| # | Heat source | Count | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Undetermined | 11 | 61.1% | |
| 2 | Arcing | 3 | 16.7% | |
| 3 | Heat source: other | 1 | 5.6% | |
| 4 | Cigarette lighter | 1 | 5.6% | |
| 5 | Candle | 1 | 5.6% | |
| 6 | Flame/torch used for lighting | 1 | 5.6% |
Largest single-incident property losses reported by Baldwin departments in 2025. These 3 fires alone account for 100% of the city's annual total.
| # | Property loss | Type | Severity | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $13,000 | Passenger vehicle fire | Significant | Investigated |
| 2 | $9,000 | Building fires | Significant | Investigated |
| 3 | $4,000 | Passenger vehicle fire | Significant | Investigated |
Per-capita rates let us compare apples to apples. Baldwin sits above the national average for incidents per resident.
Top 11 wildfires (1992+) in the FPA-FOD ignitions database, scaled by acres. 618 acres burned in this 50-mile radius. Each dot is a fire — bigger dots burned more land.
| Year | Cause | Acres | Distance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Recreation and ceremony | 200 | 46.3 mi | |
| 2005 | Arson/incendiarism | 75 | 22.3 mi | |
| 2010 | Debris and open burning | 70 | 33.4 mi | |
| 1999 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 60 | 43.0 mi | |
| 2001 | Arson/incendiarism | 55 | 22.8 mi | |
| 2000 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 50 | 48.9 mi | |
| 2010 | Equipment and vehicle use | 47 | 34.6 mi | |
| 2005 | Natural | 22 | 46.5 mi | |
| 2008 | Arson/incendiarism | 19 | 34.8 mi | |
| 2000 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 10 | 45.3 mi | |
| 1998 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 10 | 43.6 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 Louisiana cities with population within ±25% of Baldwin. Useful comparison targets — same state, similar size, different fire profile.
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.