In 2025, fire departments serving Southwest Harbor responded to 32 fire and hazmat incidents . Here's the full picture.
Special outside fire, other lead by count. Building fires lead by dollars. Together the top five categories make up about 50% of all calls.
Jul peaks. Apr dips. Watch for the typical fall climb starting in October.
156 incidents 2021–2025. Peak year was 2023.
| Year | Incidents | YoY | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 21 | — | |
| 2022 | 20 | -4.8% | |
| 2023 | 56 | +180.0% | |
| 2024 | 27 | -51.8% | |
| 2025 | 32 | +18.5% |
For the 0 building fires Southwest Harbor departments responded to in 2025, here's how they were classified once investigators were finished.
NFIRS Area of Origin (AREA_ORIG) for the 12 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 | Common room, den, family room, living room, lounge | 2 | 16.7% | |
| 2 | Cooking area, kitchen | 2 | 16.7% | |
| 3 | Engine area, running gear, wheel area | 2 | 16.7% | |
| 4 | Dining room, cafeteria bar area, beverage service | 1 | 8.3% | |
| 5 | Vehicle storage area; garage, carport | 1 | 8.3% | |
| 6 | Conduit, pipe, utility, or ventilation shaft | 1 | 8.3% | |
| 7 | Equipment or service area, other | 1 | 8.3% | |
| 8 | Wall surface: exterior | 1 | 8.3% | |
| 9 | Undetermined | 1 | 8.3% |
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 Southwest Harbor mix.
| # | Heat source | Count | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Undetermined | 6 | 50.0% | |
| 2 | Spark, ember or flame from operating equipment | 2 | 16.7% | |
| 3 | Arcing | 2 | 16.7% | |
| 4 | Hot ember or ash | 2 | 16.7% |
Per-capita rates let us compare apples to apples. Southwest Harbor sits above the national average for incidents per resident.
Top 25 wildfires (1992+) in the FPA-FOD ignitions database, scaled by acres. 4,939 acres burned in this 50-mile radius. Each dot is a fire — bigger dots burned more land.
| Year | Cause | Acres | Distance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Equipment and vehicle use | 770 | 44.7 mi | |
| 1998 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 657 | 38.3 mi | |
| 1994 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 515 | 37.0 mi | |
| 2001 | Debris and open burning | 495 | 37.2 mi | |
| 1993 | Arson/incendiarism | 250 | 41.8 mi | |
| 1995 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 215 | 39.0 mi | |
| 1999 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 205 | 22.9 mi | |
| 2013 | Arson/incendiarism | 200 | 39.7 mi | |
| 1992 | Arson/incendiarism | 177 | 36.4 mi | |
| 2004 | Arson/incendiarism | 161 | 41.1 mi | |
| 1993 | Arson/incendiarism | 156 | 43.2 mi | |
| 2003 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 124 | 19.9 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 Southwest Harbor. 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.