In 2025, fire departments serving Lincolnshire responded to 76 fire and hazmat incidents — from cooking fires to gas leaks to a single $150K 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 72% of all calls.
Mar peaks. Jun dips. Watch for the typical fall climb starting in October.
376 incidents 2021–2025. Peak year was 2024. $719K cumulative property loss.
| Year | Incidents | YoY | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 73 | — | |
| 2022 | 65 | -11.0% | |
| 2023 | 80 | +23.1% | |
| 2024 | 82 | +2.5% | |
| 2025 | 76 | -7.3% |
For the 16 building fires Lincolnshire departments responded to in 2025, here's how they were classified once investigators were finished.
NFIRS Area of Origin (AREA_ORIG) for the 52 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 | Processing/manufacturing area, workroom | 8 | 15.4% | |
| 2 | Undetermined | 8 | 15.4% | |
| 3 | Outside area, other | 6 | 11.5% | |
| 4 | Engine area, running gear, wheel area | 5 | 9.6% | |
| 5 | Machinery room or area; elevator machinery room | 4 | 7.7% | |
| 6 | Other | 2 | 3.8% | |
| 7 | Technical processing areas, other | 2 | 3.8% | |
| 8 | Storage area, other | 2 | 3.8% | |
| 9 | Equipment or service area, other | 2 | 3.8% | |
| 10 | Operator/passenger area of transportation equip. | 2 | 3.8% | |
| 11 | All other areas | 11 | 21.2% |
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 Lincolnshire mix.
| # | Heat source | Count | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Undetermined | 17 | 32.7% | |
| 2 | Heat from powered equipment, other | 8 | 15.4% | |
| 3 | Heat, spark from friction | 7 | 13.5% | |
| 4 | Spark, ember or flame from operating equipment | 5 | 9.6% | |
| 5 | Arcing | 3 | 5.8% | |
| 6 | Heat source: other | 2 | 3.8% | |
| 7 | Radiated, conducted heat from operating equipment | 2 | 3.8% | |
| 8 | Fireworks | 2 | 3.8% | |
| 9 | Flame/torch used for lighting | 2 | 3.8% | |
| 10 | Hot or smoldering object, other | 1 | 1.9% | |
| 11 | All other sources | 3 | 5.8% |
Largest single-incident property losses reported by Lincolnshire departments in 2025. These 8 fires alone account for 98% of the city's annual total.
| # | Property loss | Type | Severity | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $150,000 | Building fires | Significant | Investigated |
| 2 | $20,000 | Building fires | Significant | Investigated |
| 3 | $20,000 | Building fires | Significant | Investigated |
| 4 | $5,000 | Building fires | Significant | Investigated |
| 5 | $5,000 | Building fires | Significant | Investigated |
| 6 | $5,000 | Building fires | Significant | Investigated |
| 7 | $5,000 | Building fires | Significant | Investigated |
| 8 | $5,000 | Building fires | Significant | Investigated |
Per-capita rates let us compare apples to apples. Lincolnshire sits above the national average for incidents per resident.
Top 25 wildfires (1992+) in the FPA-FOD ignitions database, scaled by acres. 2,622 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 | 15.2 mi | |
| 2003 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 450 | 14.8 mi | |
| 2010 | Natural | 200 | 48.6 mi | |
| 2010 | Natural | 180 | 48.2 mi | |
| 2011 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 160 | 48.3 mi | |
| 2010 | Equipment and vehicle use | 80 | 33.2 mi | |
| 2012 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 80 | 19.0 mi | |
| 2020 | Arson/incendiarism | 76 | 45.6 mi | |
| 2003 | Recreation and ceremony | 75 | 31.5 mi | |
| 2020 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 60 | 43.8 mi | |
| 2014 | Arson/incendiarism | 50 | 27.4 mi | |
| 2012 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 50 | 18.5 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 Lincolnshire. 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.