In 2025, fire departments serving Silvis responded to 82 fire and hazmat incidents — from cooking fires to gas leaks to a single $35K building blaze. Here's the full picture.
Building fires lead by count. Building fires lead by dollars. Together the top five categories make up about 61% of all calls.
Aug peaks. Jan dips. Watch for the typical fall climb starting in October.
423 incidents 2021–2025. Peak year was 2023. $870K cumulative property loss.
| Year | Incidents | YoY | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 68 | — | |
| 2022 | 87 | +27.9% | |
| 2023 | 95 | +9.2% | |
| 2024 | 91 | -4.2% | |
| 2025 | 82 | -9.9% |
For the 18 building fires Silvis departments responded to in 2025, here's how they were classified once investigators were finished.
NFIRS Area of Origin (AREA_ORIG) for the 54 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 | 15 | 27.8% | |
| 2 | Laundry area, wash house (laundry) | 5 | 9.3% | |
| 3 | Wall surface: exterior | 4 | 7.4% | |
| 4 | Common room, den, family room, living room, lounge | 3 | 5.6% | |
| 5 | Cooking area, kitchen | 3 | 5.6% | |
| 6 | Exterior, exposed surface | 3 | 5.6% | |
| 7 | Outside area, other | 3 | 5.6% | |
| 8 | Wildland, woods | 3 | 5.6% | |
| 9 | Bathroom, checkroom, lavatory, locker room | 2 | 3.7% | |
| 10 | Engine area, running gear, wheel area | 2 | 3.7% | |
| 11 | All other areas | 11 | 20.4% |
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 Silvis mix.
| # | Heat source | Count | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Undetermined | 25 | 46.3% | |
| 2 | Heat source: other | 4 | 7.4% | |
| 3 | Heat from powered equipment, other | 4 | 7.4% | |
| 4 | Cigarette lighter | 4 | 7.4% | |
| 5 | Arcing | 3 | 5.6% | |
| 6 | Heat from direct flame, convection currents | 3 | 5.6% | |
| 7 | Radiated heat from another fire | 3 | 5.6% | |
| 8 | Spark, ember or flame from operating equipment | 2 | 3.7% | |
| 9 | Hot ember or ash | 2 | 3.7% | |
| 10 | Candle | 2 | 3.7% | |
| 11 | All other sources | 2 | 3.7% |
Largest single-incident property losses reported by Silvis departments in 2025. These 8 fires alone account for 99% of the city's annual total.
| # | Property loss | Type | Severity | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $35,000 | Building fires | Significant | Investigated |
| 2 | $6,500 | Passenger vehicle fire | Significant | Investigated |
| 3 | $5,000 | Building fires | Significant | Investigated |
| 4 | $5,000 | Dumpster or other outside trash receptacle fire | Significant | Investigated |
| 5 | $5,000 | Building fires | Significant | Investigated |
| 6 | $2,000 | Cooking fire, confined to container | Significant | Investigated |
| 7 | $1,000 | Dumpster or other outside trash receptacle fire | Significant | Investigated |
| 8 | $500 | Building fires | Significant | Investigated |
Per-capita rates let us compare apples to apples. Silvis sits above the national average for incidents per resident.
Top 25 wildfires (1992+) in the FPA-FOD ignitions database, scaled by acres. 8,868 acres burned in this 50-mile radius. Each dot is a fire — bigger dots burned more land.
| Year | Cause | Acres | Distance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Debris and open burning | 1,500 | 12.5 mi | |
| 2003 | Recreation and ceremony | 1,200 | 39.2 mi | |
| 2000 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 832 | 39.2 mi | |
| 2003 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 820 | 39.2 mi | |
| 2015 | Debris and open burning | 640 | 12.0 mi | |
| 2003 | Arson/incendiarism | 630 | 39.2 mi | |
| 2012 | Debris and open burning | 400 | 49.0 mi | |
| 1996 | Debris and open burning | 333 | 44.5 mi | |
| 2000 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 282 | 39.2 mi | |
| 2014 | Recreation and ceremony | 265 | 35.2 mi | |
| 2000 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 232 | 39.2 mi | |
| 2015 | Debris and open burning | 195 | 12.1 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 Illinois cities with population within ±25% of Silvis. 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.