In 2025, fire departments serving Mechanic Falls responded to 23 fire and hazmat incidents . Here's the full picture.
Building fires lead by count. Building fires lead by dollars. Together the top five categories make up about 91% of all calls.
Jan peaks. Apr dips. Watch for the typical fall climb starting in October.
159 incidents 2021–2025. Peak year was 2023. $321K cumulative property loss. 1 civilian deaths.
| Year | Incidents | YoY | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 35 | — | |
| 2022 | 21 | -40.0% | |
| 2023 | 44 | +109.5% | |
| 2024 | 36 | -18.2% | |
| 2025 | 23 | -36.1% |
For the 13 building fires Mechanic Falls departments responded to in 2025, here's how they were classified once investigators were finished.
NFIRS Area of Origin (AREA_ORIG) for the 17 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 | Outside area, other | 4 | 23.5% | |
| 2 | Wildland, woods | 4 | 23.5% | |
| 3 | Engine area, running gear, wheel area | 2 | 11.8% | |
| 4 | Other | 1 | 5.9% | |
| 5 | Assembly or sales area, other | 1 | 5.9% | |
| 6 | Function area, other | 1 | 5.9% | |
| 7 | Substructure area or space, crawl space | 1 | 5.9% | |
| 8 | Wall surface: exterior | 1 | 5.9% | |
| 9 | Fuel tank, fuel line | 1 | 5.9% | |
| 10 | Separate operator/control area of transportation | 1 | 5.9% |
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 Mechanic Falls mix.
| # | Heat source | Count | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hot or smoldering object, other | 5 | 29.4% | |
| 2 | Hot ember or ash | 4 | 23.5% | |
| 3 | Radiated, conducted heat from operating equipment | 2 | 11.8% | |
| 4 | Molten, hot material | 2 | 11.8% | |
| 5 | Cigarette lighter | 2 | 11.8% | |
| 6 | Heat from powered equipment, other | 1 | 5.9% | |
| 7 | Flame/torch used for lighting | 1 | 5.9% |
Per-capita rates let us compare apples to apples. Mechanic Falls sits below the national average for incidents per resident.
Top 25 wildfires (1992+) in the FPA-FOD ignitions database, scaled by acres. 1,710 acres burned in this 50-mile radius. Each dot is a fire — bigger dots burned more land.
| Year | Cause | Acres | Distance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 329 | 41.9 mi | |
| 2015 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 275 | 47.4 mi | |
| 2001 | Misuse of fire by a minor | 236 | 35.1 mi | |
| 2004 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 139 | 39.3 mi | |
| 1992 | Arson/incendiarism | 64 | 31.7 mi | |
| 1995 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 60 | 29.9 mi | |
| 2002 | Recreation and ceremony | 57 | 39.8 mi | |
| 2000 | Debris and open burning | 51 | 25.1 mi | |
| 2016 | Arson/incendiarism | 42 | 39.7 mi | |
| 2006 | Debris and open burning | 40 | 27.2 mi | |
| 2003 | Debris and open burning | 40 | 24.3 mi | |
| 2006 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 39 | 10.1 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 Mechanic Falls. 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.