In 2025, fire departments serving The Plains responded to 48 fire and hazmat incidents — from cooking fires to gas leaks to a single $3K building blaze. Here's the full picture.
Gas leak (natural gas or LPG) lead by count. Building fires lead by dollars. Together the top five categories make up about 58% of all calls.
Feb peaks. Nov dips. Watch for the typical fall climb starting in October.
264 incidents 2021–2025. Peak year was 2022. $16K cumulative property loss. 1 civilian deaths.
| Year | Incidents | YoY | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 43 | — | |
| 2022 | 65 | +51.2% | |
| 2023 | 46 | -29.2% | |
| 2024 | 62 | +34.8% | |
| 2025 | 48 | -22.6% |
For the 6 building fires The Plains departments responded to in 2025, here's how they were classified once investigators were finished.
NFIRS Area of Origin (AREA_ORIG) for the 58 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 | 14 | 24.1% | |
| 2 | Other | 11 | 19.0% | |
| 3 | Cooking area, kitchen | 6 | 10.3% | |
| 4 | Undetermined | 5 | 8.6% | |
| 5 | Common room, den, family room, living room, lounge | 3 | 5.2% | |
| 6 | Structural area, other | 3 | 5.2% | |
| 7 | Vehicle area, other | 3 | 5.2% | |
| 8 | Engine area, running gear, wheel area | 3 | 5.2% | |
| 9 | Function area, other | 2 | 3.4% | |
| 10 | Duct: hvac, cable, exhaust, heating, or AC | 2 | 3.4% | |
| 11 | All other areas | 6 | 10.3% |
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 The Plains mix.
| # | Heat source | Count | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Undetermined | 23 | 39.7% | |
| 2 | Heat source: other | 9 | 15.5% | |
| 3 | Heat from powered equipment, other | 8 | 13.8% | |
| 4 | Cigarette lighter | 4 | 6.9% | |
| 5 | Arcing | 2 | 3.4% | |
| 6 | Hot or smoldering object, other | 2 | 3.4% | |
| 7 | Heat from direct flame, convection currents | 2 | 3.4% | |
| 8 | Multiple heat sources including multiple ignitions | 2 | 3.4% | |
| 9 | Radiated, conducted heat from operating equipment | 1 | 1.7% | |
| 10 | Heat, spark from friction | 1 | 1.7% | |
| 11 | All other sources | 4 | 6.9% |
Largest single-incident property losses reported by The Plains departments in 2025. These 2 fires alone account for 100% of the city's annual total.
| # | Property loss | Type | Severity | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $3,000 | Dumpster or other outside trash receptacle fire | Significant | Investigated |
| 2 | $500 | Building fires | Significant | Investigated |
Per-capita rates let us compare apples to apples. The Plains sits above the national average for incidents per resident.
Top 25 wildfires (1992+) in the FPA-FOD ignitions database, scaled by acres. 3,277 acres burned in this 50-mile radius. Each dot is a fire — bigger dots burned more land.
| Year | Cause | Acres | Distance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 355 | 33.2 mi | |
| 2001 | Arson/incendiarism | 300 | 46.8 mi | |
| 2013 | Arson/incendiarism | 280 | 27.8 mi | |
| 2009 | Arson/incendiarism | 197 | 46.9 mi | |
| 2015 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 171 | 48.1 mi | |
| 2000 | Arson/incendiarism | 170 | 49.0 mi | |
| 2012 | Arson/incendiarism | 146 | 46.1 mi | |
| 2014 | Arson/incendiarism | 143 | 45.8 mi | |
| 2010 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 137 | 47.5 mi | |
| 2015 | Power generation/transmission/distribution | 131 | 12.9 mi | |
| 2006 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 128 | 47.0 mi | |
| 1995 | Equipment and vehicle use | 125 | 45.3 mi |
Top 5 ZIP codes by NFIRS incident count across 2021–2025. Each ZIP has its own fire profile — dive in for neighborhood-level context.
Six Ohio cities with population within ±25% of The Plains. 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.