Two Lithium-Ion Battery Fires in Three Weeks Destroy Homes in Pasco County, Florida
Battery fires in Zephyrhills and New Port Richey destroyed two homes, killed a dog and displaced six people between Aug. 31 and Sept. 18.
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In 2025, fire departments serving Steinhatchee responded to 22 fire and hazmat incidents — from cooking fires to gas leaks to a single $5K building blaze. Here's the full picture.
Brush, or brush and grass mixture fire lead by count. Building fires lead by dollars. Together the top five categories make up about 59% of all calls.
Jun peaks. Oct dips. Watch for the typical fall climb starting in October.
150 incidents 2021–2025. Peak year was 2022. $2.6M cumulative property loss. 1 civilian deaths.
| Year | Incidents | YoY | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 19 | — | |
| 2022 | 47 | +147.4% | |
| 2023 | 31 | -34.0% | |
| 2024 | 31 | +0.0% | |
| 2025 | 22 | -29.0% |
For the 0 building fires Steinhatchee departments responded to in 2025, here's how they were classified once investigators were finished.
NFIRS Area of Origin (AREA_ORIG) for the 61 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 | 19 | 31.1% | |
| 2 | Outside area, other | 8 | 13.1% | |
| 3 | Other | 4 | 6.6% | |
| 4 | Wildland, woods | 4 | 6.6% | |
| 5 | Engine area, running gear, wheel area | 3 | 4.9% | |
| 6 | Open area - outside; included are farmland, field | 3 | 4.9% | |
| 7 | Common room, den, family room, living room, lounge | 2 | 3.3% | |
| 8 | Cooking area, kitchen | 2 | 3.3% | |
| 9 | Vehicle storage area; garage, carport | 2 | 3.3% | |
| 10 | Structural area, other | 2 | 3.3% | |
| 11 | All other areas | 12 | 19.7% |
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 Steinhatchee mix.
| # | Heat source | Count | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Undetermined | 31 | 50.8% | |
| 2 | Heat source: other | 9 | 14.8% | |
| 3 | Heat from powered equipment, other | 7 | 11.5% | |
| 4 | Flame/torch used for lighting | 3 | 4.9% | |
| 5 | Spark, ember or flame from operating equipment | 2 | 3.3% | |
| 6 | Hot or smoldering object, other | 2 | 3.3% | |
| 7 | Hot ember or ash | 2 | 3.3% | |
| 8 | Arcing | 1 | 1.6% | |
| 9 | Explosive, fireworks, other | 1 | 1.6% | |
| 10 | Cigarette lighter | 1 | 1.6% | |
| 11 | All other sources | 2 | 3.3% |
Largest single-incident property losses reported by Steinhatchee departments in 2025. These 2 fires alone account for 100% of the city's annual total.
| # | Property loss | Type | Severity | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $5,000 | Mobile property (vehicle) fire, other | Significant | Investigated |
| 2 | $1,000 | Fire, other | Significant | Investigated |
Per-capita rates let us compare apples to apples. Steinhatchee sits above the national average for incidents per resident.
Top 25 wildfires (1992+) in the FPA-FOD ignitions database, scaled by acres. 94,714 acres burned in this 50-mile radius. Each dot is a fire — bigger dots burned more land.
| Year | Cause | Acres | Distance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Natural | 57,200 | 21.4 mi | |
| 2001 | Natural | 20,000 | 22.2 mi | |
| 2000 | Equipment and vehicle use | 4,100 | 26.2 mi | |
| 1992 | Natural | 2,200 | 43.9 mi | |
| 2008 | Debris and open burning | 1,372 | 25.8 mi | |
| 2001 | Equipment and vehicle use | 1,154 | 26.4 mi | |
| 1999 | Equipment and vehicle use | 1,050 | 26.3 mi | |
| 2016 | Natural | 1,032 | 4.8 mi | |
| 2008 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 930 | 39.9 mi | |
| 2001 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 555 | 25.6 mi | |
| 1996 | Equipment and vehicle use | 520 | 31.0 mi | |
| 2017 | Arson/incendiarism | 482 | 45.1 mi |
Top 6 ZIP codes by NFIRS incident count across 2021–2025. Each ZIP has its own fire profile — dive in for neighborhood-level context.
Six Florida cities with population within ±25% of Steinhatchee. 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.