In 2025, fire departments serving Fox River Grove responded to 72 fire and hazmat incidents — from cooking fires to gas leaks to a single $100K 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 83% of all calls.
Aug peaks. Feb dips. Watch for the typical fall climb starting in October.
247 incidents 2021–2025. Peak year was 2025. $774K cumulative property loss.
| Year | Incidents | YoY | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 38 | — | |
| 2022 | 35 | -7.9% | |
| 2023 | 45 | +28.6% | |
| 2024 | 57 | +26.7% | |
| 2025 | 72 | +26.3% |
For the 5 building fires Fox River Grove departments responded to in 2025, here's how they were classified once investigators were finished.
NFIRS Area of Origin (AREA_ORIG) for the 26 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 | 8 | 30.8% | |
| 2 | Engine area, running gear, wheel area | 3 | 11.5% | |
| 3 | Railroad right of way: on or near | 3 | 11.5% | |
| 4 | Cooking area, kitchen | 2 | 7.7% | |
| 5 | Wall surface: exterior | 2 | 7.7% | |
| 6 | Outside area, other | 2 | 7.7% | |
| 7 | Function area, other | 1 | 3.8% | |
| 8 | Bedroom - 5+ persons; including barrack/dormitory | 1 | 3.8% | |
| 9 | Vehicle storage area; garage, carport | 1 | 3.8% | |
| 10 | Structural area, other | 1 | 3.8% | |
| 11 | All other areas | 2 | 7.7% |
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 Fox River Grove mix.
| # | Heat source | Count | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Undetermined | 19 | 73.1% | |
| 2 | Radiated, conducted heat from operating equipment | 2 | 7.7% | |
| 3 | Arcing | 2 | 7.7% | |
| 4 | Heat source: other | 1 | 3.8% | |
| 5 | Spark, ember or flame from operating equipment | 1 | 3.8% | |
| 6 | Lightning | 1 | 3.8% |
Largest single-incident property losses reported by Fox River Grove departments in 2025. These 5 fires alone account for 100% of the city's annual total.
| # | Property loss | Type | Severity | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $100,000 | Building fires | Significant | Investigated |
| 2 | $8,000 | Passenger vehicle fire | Significant | Investigated |
| 3 | $4,000 | Passenger vehicle fire | Significant | Investigated |
| 4 | $2,500 | Building fires | Significant | Investigated |
| 5 | $500 | Fires in structures other than in a building | Significant | Investigated |
Per-capita rates let us compare apples to apples. Fox River Grove sits above the national average for incidents per resident.
Top 25 wildfires (1992+) in the FPA-FOD ignitions database, scaled by acres. 2,524 acres burned in this 50-mile radius. Each dot is a fire — bigger dots burned more land.
| Year | Cause | Acres | Distance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Misuse of fire by a minor | 750 | 25.2 mi | |
| 2003 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 450 | 24.2 mi | |
| 2010 | Natural | 200 | 47.6 mi | |
| 2010 | Natural | 180 | 47.1 mi | |
| 2010 | Equipment and vehicle use | 80 | 30.6 mi | |
| 2012 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 80 | 11.1 mi | |
| 2020 | Arson/incendiarism | 76 | 42.4 mi | |
| 2003 | Recreation and ceremony | 75 | 18.2 mi | |
| 2020 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 60 | 36.6 mi | |
| 2010 | Debris and open burning | 53 | 44.9 mi | |
| 2014 | Arson/incendiarism | 50 | 18.0 mi | |
| 2012 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 50 | 26.9 mi |
Top 3 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 Fox River Grove. 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.