In 2025, fire departments serving Drexel responded to 13 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 54% of all calls.
Mar peaks. Jan dips. Watch for the typical fall climb starting in October.
101 incidents 2021–2025. Peak year was 2024. $2K cumulative property loss.
| Year | Incidents | YoY | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 22 | — | |
| 2022 | 18 | -18.2% | |
| 2023 | 23 | +27.8% | |
| 2024 | 25 | +8.7% | |
| 2025 | 13 | -48.0% |
For the 3 building fires Drexel departments responded to in 2025, here's how they were classified once investigators were finished.
NFIRS Area of Origin (AREA_ORIG) for the 39 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 | Outside area, other | 14 | 35.9% | |
| 2 | Engine area, running gear, wheel area | 3 | 7.7% | |
| 3 | Undetermined | 3 | 7.7% | |
| 4 | Other | 2 | 5.1% | |
| 5 | Cooking area, kitchen | 2 | 5.1% | |
| 6 | Structural area, other | 2 | 5.1% | |
| 7 | Wildland, woods | 2 | 5.1% | |
| 8 | Entrance way, lobby | 1 | 2.6% | |
| 9 | Storage area, other | 1 | 2.6% | |
| 10 | Vehicle storage area; garage, carport | 1 | 2.6% | |
| 11 | All other areas | 8 | 20.5% |
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 Drexel mix.
| # | Heat source | Count | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Undetermined | 12 | 30.8% | |
| 2 | Match | 6 | 15.4% | |
| 3 | Heat source: other | 4 | 10.3% | |
| 4 | Heat from other open flame or smoking materials | 4 | 10.3% | |
| 5 | Arcing | 2 | 5.1% | |
| 6 | Cigarette lighter | 2 | 5.1% | |
| 7 | Flame/torch used for lighting | 2 | 5.1% | |
| 8 | Spark, ember or flame from operating equipment | 1 | 2.6% | |
| 9 | Radiated, conducted heat from operating equipment | 1 | 2.6% | |
| 10 | Hot or smoldering object, other | 1 | 2.6% | |
| 11 | All other sources | 4 | 10.3% |
Per-capita rates let us compare apples to apples. Drexel sits below the national average for incidents per resident.
Top 25 wildfires (1992+) in the FPA-FOD ignitions database, scaled by acres. 65,724 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 | 10,120 | 20.5 mi | |
| 2016 | Arson/incendiarism | 7,913 | 39.7 mi | |
| 2016 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 6,431 | 10.1 mi | |
| 2017 | Natural | 5,500 | 16.8 mi | |
| 2007 | Natural | 5,015 | 16.8 mi | |
| 2016 | Arson/incendiarism | 3,163 | 27.9 mi | |
| 2000 | Debris and open burning | 2,738 | 42.0 mi | |
| 2013 | Recreation and ceremony | 2,579 | 17.9 mi | |
| 2007 | Misuse of fire by a minor | 2,404 | 18.3 mi | |
| 2001 | Debris and open burning | 2,235 | 32.2 mi | |
| 2000 | Arson/incendiarism | 2,050 | 43.4 mi | |
| 2008 | Other causes | 2,005 | 19.6 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 North Carolina cities with population within ±25% of Drexel. 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.