In 2025, fire departments serving Carlinville responded to 107 fire and hazmat incidents . Here's the full picture.
Building fires lead by count. Building fires lead by dollars. Together the top five categories make up about 70% of all calls.
Mar peaks. Apr dips. Watch for the typical fall climb starting in October.
377 incidents 2021–2025. Peak year was 2024. $600K cumulative property loss.
| Year | Incidents | YoY | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 51 | — | |
| 2022 | 62 | +21.6% | |
| 2023 | 50 | -19.4% | |
| 2024 | 107 | +114.0% | |
| 2025 | 107 | +0.0% |
For the 28 building fires Carlinville departments responded to in 2025, here's how they were classified once investigators were finished.
NFIRS Area of Origin (AREA_ORIG) for the 132 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 | 93 | 70.5% | |
| 2 | Other | 22 | 16.7% | |
| 3 | Engine area, running gear, wheel area | 3 | 2.3% | |
| 4 | Wildland, woods | 3 | 2.3% | |
| 5 | Common room, den, family room, living room, lounge | 2 | 1.5% | |
| 6 | Vehicle area, other | 2 | 1.5% | |
| 7 | Bedroom - < 5 persons; included are jail or prison | 1 | 0.8% | |
| 8 | Cooking area, kitchen | 1 | 0.8% | |
| 9 | Bathroom, checkroom, lavatory, locker room | 1 | 0.8% | |
| 10 | Storage area, other | 1 | 0.8% | |
| 11 | All other areas | 3 | 2.3% |
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 Carlinville mix.
| # | Heat source | Count | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Undetermined | 104 | 78.8% | |
| 2 | Heat source: other | 19 | 14.4% | |
| 3 | Chemical reaction | 2 | 1.5% | |
| 4 | Heat from direct flame, convection currents | 2 | 1.5% | |
| 5 | Heat from powered equipment, other | 1 | 0.8% | |
| 6 | Hot or smoldering object, other | 1 | 0.8% | |
| 7 | Hot ember or ash | 1 | 0.8% | |
| 8 | Heat from other open flame or smoking materials | 1 | 0.8% | |
| 9 | Lightning | 1 | 0.8% |
Per-capita rates let us compare apples to apples. Carlinville sits above the national average for incidents per resident.
Top 25 wildfires (1992+) in the FPA-FOD ignitions database, scaled by acres. 3,110 acres burned in this 50-mile radius. Each dot is a fire — bigger dots burned more land.
| Year | Cause | Acres | Distance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1,475 | 37.9 mi | |
| 2012 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 200 | 39.1 mi | |
| 2009 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 160 | 41.9 mi | |
| 2006 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 100 | 48.4 mi | |
| 2014 | Debris and open burning | 96 | 49.9 mi | |
| 2007 | Equipment and vehicle use | 80 | 23.4 mi | |
| 2009 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 80 | 36.2 mi | |
| 2014 | Debris and open burning | 80 | 35.6 mi | |
| 2014 | Debris and open burning | 80 | 33.8 mi | |
| 2008 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 75 | 6.4 mi | |
| 2010 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 75 | 49.0 mi | |
| 2009 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 60 | 40.7 mi |
Top 4 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 Carlinville. 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.