In 2025, fire departments serving Manchester responded to 52 fire and hazmat incidents — from cooking fires to gas leaks to a single $33K building blaze. Here's the full picture.
Grass fire lead by count. Building fires lead by dollars. Together the top five categories make up about 65% of all calls.
Mar peaks. May dips. Watch for the typical fall climb starting in October.
188 incidents 2021–2025. Peak year was 2025. $727K cumulative property loss.
| Year | Incidents | YoY | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 23 | — | |
| 2022 | 46 | +100.0% | |
| 2023 | 32 | -30.4% | |
| 2024 | 35 | +9.4% | |
| 2025 | 52 | +48.6% |
For the 2 building fires Manchester departments responded to in 2025, here's how they were classified once investigators were finished.
NFIRS Area of Origin (AREA_ORIG) for the 44 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 | 12 | 27.3% | |
| 2 | Engine area, running gear, wheel area | 11 | 25.0% | |
| 3 | Open area - outside; included are farmland, field | 4 | 9.1% | |
| 4 | Vehicle storage area; garage, carport | 3 | 6.8% | |
| 5 | Vehicle area, other | 3 | 6.8% | |
| 6 | Fuel tank, fuel line | 2 | 4.5% | |
| 7 | Other | 1 | 2.3% | |
| 8 | Egress/exit, other | 1 | 2.3% | |
| 9 | Bedroom - < 5 persons; included are jail or prison | 1 | 2.3% | |
| 10 | Enclosure, pressurized air | 1 | 2.3% | |
| 11 | All other areas | 5 | 11.4% |
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 Manchester mix.
| # | Heat source | Count | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Undetermined | 22 | 50.0% | |
| 2 | Heat from powered equipment, other | 5 | 11.4% | |
| 3 | Hot or smoldering object, other | 5 | 11.4% | |
| 4 | Heat, spark from friction | 2 | 4.5% | |
| 5 | Hot ember or ash | 2 | 4.5% | |
| 6 | Heat source: other | 1 | 2.3% | |
| 7 | Spark, ember or flame from operating equipment | 1 | 2.3% | |
| 8 | Arcing | 1 | 2.3% | |
| 9 | Heat from other open flame or smoking materials | 1 | 2.3% | |
| 10 | Cigarette | 1 | 2.3% | |
| 11 | All other sources | 3 | 6.8% |
Largest single-incident property losses reported by Manchester departments in 2025. These 5 fires alone account for 100% of the city's annual total.
| # | Property loss | Type | Severity | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $33,000 | Cultivated grain or crop fire | Significant | Investigated |
| 2 | $25,000 | Off-road vehicle or heavy equipment fire | Significant | Investigated |
| 3 | $2,000 | Building fires | Significant | Investigated |
| 4 | $500 | Passenger vehicle fire | Significant | Investigated |
| 5 | $200 | Building fires | Significant | Investigated |
Per-capita rates let us compare apples to apples. Manchester sits above the national average for incidents per resident.
Top 25 wildfires (1992+) in the FPA-FOD ignitions database, scaled by acres. 2,435 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 | 200 | 48.9 mi | |
| 2014 | Debris and open burning | 200 | 34.5 mi | |
| 2018 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 165 | 27.1 mi | |
| 2014 | Debris and open burning | 160 | 48.6 mi | |
| 2015 | Debris and open burning | 160 | 40.8 mi | |
| 2009 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 150 | 46.3 mi | |
| 2009 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 140 | 37.9 mi | |
| 2014 | Debris and open burning | 120 | 45.3 mi | |
| 2015 | Equipment and vehicle use | 120 | 29.4 mi | |
| 2010 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 80 | 46.6 mi | |
| 2013 | Debris and open burning | 80 | 46.6 mi | |
| 2015 | Debris and open burning | 80 | 45.3 mi |
Top 1 ZIP codes by NFIRS incident count across 2021–2025. Each ZIP has its own fire profile — dive in for neighborhood-level context.
| # | ZIP | 5-yr incidents | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 52057 | 188 |
Six Iowa cities with population within ±25% of Manchester. 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.