In 2025, fire departments serving Blue Mound responded to 34 fire and hazmat incidents — from cooking fires to gas leaks to a single $700K building blaze. Here's the full picture.
Power line down lead by count. Building fires lead by dollars. Together the top five categories make up about 59% of all calls.
Nov peaks. Feb dips. Watch for the typical fall climb starting in October.
143 incidents 2021–2025. Peak year was 2025. $1.4M cumulative property loss.
| Year | Incidents | YoY | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 21 | — | |
| 2022 | 31 | +47.6% | |
| 2023 | 33 | +6.5% | |
| 2024 | 24 | -27.3% | |
| 2025 | 34 | +41.7% |
For the 1 building fires Blue Mound departments responded to in 2025, here's how they were classified once investigators were finished.
NFIRS Area of Origin (AREA_ORIG) for the 36 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 | 12 | 33.3% | |
| 2 | Outside area, other | 7 | 19.4% | |
| 3 | Engine area, running gear, wheel area | 3 | 8.3% | |
| 4 | Open area - outside; included are farmland, field | 3 | 8.3% | |
| 5 | Other | 2 | 5.6% | |
| 6 | Vehicle area, other | 2 | 5.6% | |
| 7 | Function area, other | 1 | 2.8% | |
| 8 | Closet | 1 | 2.8% | |
| 9 | Storage: supplies or tools; dead storage | 1 | 2.8% | |
| 10 | Vehicle storage area; garage, carport | 1 | 2.8% | |
| 11 | All other areas | 3 | 8.3% |
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 Blue Mound mix.
| # | Heat source | Count | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Undetermined | 19 | 52.8% | |
| 2 | Heat from powered equipment, other | 4 | 11.1% | |
| 3 | Heat source: other | 2 | 5.6% | |
| 4 | Spark, ember or flame from operating equipment | 2 | 5.6% | |
| 5 | Hot or smoldering object, other | 2 | 5.6% | |
| 6 | Hot ember or ash | 2 | 5.6% | |
| 7 | Match | 2 | 5.6% | |
| 8 | Radiated, conducted heat from operating equipment | 1 | 2.8% | |
| 9 | Arcing | 1 | 2.8% | |
| 10 | Flame/torch used for lighting | 1 | 2.8% |
Largest single-incident property losses reported by Blue Mound departments in 2025. These 1 fires alone account for 100% of the city's annual total.
| # | Property loss | Type | Severity | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $700,000 | Mobile property (vehicle) fire, other | Major | Investigated |
Per-capita rates let us compare apples to apples. Blue Mound sits above the national average for incidents per resident.
Top 25 wildfires (1992+) in the FPA-FOD ignitions database, scaled by acres. 1,321 acres burned in this 50-mile radius. Each dot is a fire — bigger dots burned more land.
| Year | Cause | Acres | Distance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 200 | 19.1 mi | |
| 2009 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 160 | 23.4 mi | |
| 2013 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 100 | 26.7 mi | |
| 2009 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 80 | 48.8 mi | |
| 2014 | Debris and open burning | 80 | 44.9 mi | |
| 2014 | Debris and open burning | 80 | 38.6 mi | |
| 2018 | Equipment and vehicle use | 80 | 33.1 mi | |
| 2010 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 75 | 31.7 mi | |
| 2014 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 60 | 40.7 mi | |
| 2003 | Debris and open burning | 50 | 41.2 mi | |
| 2010 | Debris and open burning | 50 | 28.3 mi | |
| 2014 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 50 | 40.8 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 Illinois cities with population within ±25% of Blue Mound. Useful comparison targets — same state, similar size, different fire profile.
1 departments report to NFIRS for incidents in Blue Mound.
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.