In 2025, fire departments serving Stafford Springs responded to 117 fire and hazmat incidents — from cooking fires to gas leaks to a single $5K building blaze. Here's the full picture.
Power line down lead by count. Building fires lead by dollars. Together the top five categories make up about 56% of all calls.
Mar peaks. Sep dips. Watch for the typical fall climb starting in October.
550 incidents 2021–2025. Peak year was 2024. $884K cumulative property loss.
| Year | Incidents | YoY | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 128 | — | |
| 2022 | 70 | -45.3% | |
| 2023 | 100 | +42.9% | |
| 2024 | 135 | +35.0% | |
| 2025 | 117 | -13.3% |
For the 7 building fires Stafford Springs departments responded to in 2025, here's how they were classified once investigators were finished.
NFIRS Area of Origin (AREA_ORIG) for the 75 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 | 13 | 17.3% | |
| 2 | Undetermined | 13 | 17.3% | |
| 3 | Open area - outside; included are farmland, field | 7 | 9.3% | |
| 4 | Other | 5 | 6.7% | |
| 5 | Cooking area, kitchen | 5 | 6.7% | |
| 6 | Vehicle storage area; garage, carport | 5 | 6.7% | |
| 7 | Engine area, running gear, wheel area | 3 | 4.0% | |
| 8 | Highway, parking lot, street: on or near | 3 | 4.0% | |
| 9 | Structural area, other | 2 | 2.7% | |
| 10 | Operator/passenger area of transportation equip. | 2 | 2.7% | |
| 11 | All other areas | 17 | 22.7% |
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 Stafford Springs mix.
| # | Heat source | Count | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Undetermined | 32 | 42.7% | |
| 2 | Hot ember or ash | 8 | 10.7% | |
| 3 | Heat source: other | 7 | 9.3% | |
| 4 | Hot or smoldering object, other | 6 | 8.0% | |
| 5 | Cigarette lighter | 3 | 4.0% | |
| 6 | Heat from powered equipment, other | 2 | 2.7% | |
| 7 | Radiated, conducted heat from operating equipment | 2 | 2.7% | |
| 8 | Arcing | 2 | 2.7% | |
| 9 | Heat from other open flame or smoking materials | 2 | 2.7% | |
| 10 | Cigarette | 2 | 2.7% | |
| 11 | All other sources | 9 | 12.0% |
Largest single-incident property losses reported by Stafford Springs departments in 2025. These 1 fires alone account for 100% of the city's annual total.
| # | Property loss | Type | Severity | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $5,000 | Passenger vehicle fire | Significant | Investigated |
Per-capita rates let us compare apples to apples. Stafford Springs sits above the national average for incidents per resident.
Top 25 wildfires (1992+) in the FPA-FOD ignitions database, scaled by acres. 4,156 acres burned in this 50-mile radius. Each dot is a fire — bigger dots burned more land.
| Year | Cause | Acres | Distance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1,300 | 41.9 mi | |
| 1997 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 361 | 28.3 mi | |
| 2010 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 321 | 30.1 mi | |
| 2001 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 250 | 26.5 mi | |
| 1994 | Misuse of fire by a minor | 180 | 43.9 mi | |
| 1994 | Misuse of fire by a minor | 180 | 43.9 mi | |
| 2008 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 175 | 36.1 mi | |
| 2012 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 150 | 32.6 mi | |
| 2010 | Recreation and ceremony | 137 | 42.1 mi | |
| 2004 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 120 | 44.7 mi | |
| 1999 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 110 | 36.1 mi | |
| 1999 | Arson/incendiarism | 100 | 49.3 mi |
Top 3 ZIP codes by NFIRS incident count across 2021–2025. Each ZIP has its own fire profile — dive in for neighborhood-level context.
Six Connecticut cities with population within ±25% of Stafford Springs. 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.