In 2025, fire departments serving Highland responded to 98 fire and hazmat incidents — from cooking fires to gas leaks to a single $75K building blaze. Here's the full picture.
Gas leak (natural gas or LPG) lead by count. Building fires lead by dollars. Together the top five categories make up about 69% of all calls.
May peaks. Feb dips. Watch for the typical fall climb starting in October.
475 incidents 2021–2025. Peak year was 2023. $4.1M cumulative property loss.
| Year | Incidents | YoY | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 64 | — | |
| 2022 | 91 | +42.2% | |
| 2023 | 122 | +34.1% | |
| 2024 | 100 | -18.0% | |
| 2025 | 98 | -2.0% |
For the 14 building fires Highland departments responded to in 2025, here's how they were classified once investigators were finished.
NFIRS Area of Origin (AREA_ORIG) for the 126 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 | 38 | 30.2% | |
| 2 | Open area - outside; included are farmland, field | 17 | 13.5% | |
| 3 | Engine area, running gear, wheel area | 9 | 7.1% | |
| 4 | Cooking area, kitchen | 7 | 5.6% | |
| 5 | Outside area, other | 5 | 4.0% | |
| 6 | Wildland, woods | 5 | 4.0% | |
| 7 | Vehicle storage area; garage, carport | 4 | 3.2% | |
| 8 | Common room, den, family room, living room, lounge | 3 | 2.4% | |
| 9 | Chimney (conversion only) | 3 | 2.4% | |
| 10 | Exterior balcony, unenclosed porch | 3 | 2.4% | |
| 11 | All other areas | 32 | 25.4% |
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 Highland mix.
| # | Heat source | Count | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Undetermined | 58 | 46.0% | |
| 2 | Heat from powered equipment, other | 11 | 8.7% | |
| 3 | Match | 8 | 6.3% | |
| 4 | Heat source: other | 7 | 5.6% | |
| 5 | Hot ember or ash | 5 | 4.0% | |
| 6 | Spark, ember or flame from operating equipment | 4 | 3.2% | |
| 7 | Hot or smoldering object, other | 4 | 3.2% | |
| 8 | Flame/torch used for lighting | 4 | 3.2% | |
| 9 | Arcing | 3 | 2.4% | |
| 10 | Cigarette | 3 | 2.4% | |
| 11 | All other sources | 19 | 15.1% |
Largest single-incident property losses reported by Highland departments in 2025. These 4 fires alone account for 100% of the city's annual total.
| # | Property loss | Type | Severity | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $75,000 | Building fires | Significant | Investigated |
| 2 | $20,000 | Building fires | Significant | Investigated |
| 3 | $5,000 | Mobile property (vehicle) fire, other | Significant | Investigated |
| 4 | $1,000 | Building fires | Significant | Investigated |
Per-capita rates let us compare apples to apples. Highland sits above the national average for incidents per resident.
Top 25 wildfires (1992+) in the FPA-FOD ignitions database, scaled by acres. 2,654 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 | 46.4 mi | |
| 2008 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 80 | 41.9 mi | |
| 2013 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 80 | 26.6 mi | |
| 2007 | Equipment and vehicle use | 80 | 33.9 mi | |
| 2009 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 80 | 26.9 mi | |
| 2014 | Debris and open burning | 80 | 30.3 mi | |
| 2014 | Debris and open burning | 80 | 35.2 mi | |
| 2008 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 75 | 30.9 mi | |
| 2020 | Debris and open burning | 60 | 48.4 mi | |
| 2009 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 60 | 24.9 mi | |
| 2003 | Debris and open burning | 50 | 30.5 mi | |
| 2014 | Debris and open burning | 40 | 38.7 mi |
Top 5 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 Highland. 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.