In 2025, fire departments serving Edgecomb responded to 29 fire and hazmat incidents . Here's the full picture.
Biological hazard, confirmed or suspected lead by count. Building fires lead by dollars. Together the top five categories make up about 76% of all calls.
Jan peaks. May dips. Watch for the typical fall climb starting in October.
98 incidents 2021–2025. Peak year was 2025. $297K cumulative property loss.
| Year | Incidents | YoY | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 20 | — | |
| 2022 | 18 | -10.0% | |
| 2023 | 12 | -33.3% | |
| 2024 | 19 | +58.3% | |
| 2025 | 29 | +52.6% |
For the 0 building fires Edgecomb departments responded to in 2025, here's how they were classified once investigators were finished.
NFIRS Area of Origin (AREA_ORIG) for the 7 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 | Engine area, running gear, wheel area | 3 | 42.9% | |
| 2 | Cooking area, kitchen | 1 | 14.3% | |
| 3 | Vehicle storage area; garage, carport | 1 | 14.3% | |
| 4 | Wall surface: exterior | 1 | 14.3% | |
| 5 | Cargo/trunk area - all vehicles | 1 | 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 Edgecomb mix.
| # | Heat source | Count | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Undetermined | 3 | 42.9% | |
| 2 | Arcing | 1 | 14.3% | |
| 3 | Match | 1 | 14.3% | |
| 4 | Backfire from internal combustion engine | 1 | 14.3% | |
| 5 | Heat from direct flame, convection currents | 1 | 14.3% |
Per-capita rates let us compare apples to apples. Edgecomb sits above the national average for incidents per resident.
Top 25 wildfires (1992+) in the FPA-FOD ignitions database, scaled by acres. 904 acres burned in this 50-mile radius. Each dot is a fire — bigger dots burned more land.
| Year | Cause | Acres | Distance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Misuse of fire by a minor | 236 | 39.6 mi | |
| 2001 | Debris and open burning | 77 | 41.1 mi | |
| 2002 | Recreation and ceremony | 57 | 22.3 mi | |
| 2015 | Debris and open burning | 48 | 33.7 mi | |
| 2016 | Arson/incendiarism | 42 | 48.0 mi | |
| 2003 | Debris and open burning | 40 | 42.1 mi | |
| 2006 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 39 | 34.5 mi | |
| 2016 | Misuse of fire by a minor | 35 | 45.8 mi | |
| 2011 | Arson/incendiarism | 33 | 42.7 mi | |
| 2013 | Arson/incendiarism | 32 | 29.2 mi | |
| 2003 | Railroad operations and maintenance | 31 | 31.4 mi | |
| 1992 | Debris and open burning | 29 | 27.3 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 Maine cities with population within ±25% of Edgecomb. Useful comparison targets — same state, similar size, different fire profile.
1 departments report to NFIRS for incidents in Edgecomb.
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.