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In 2025, fire departments serving Veneta responded to 50 fire and hazmat incidents — from cooking fires to gas leaks to a single $200K building blaze. Here's the full picture.
Unauthorized burning lead by count. Building fires lead by dollars. Together the top five categories make up about 58% of all calls.
Jul peaks. Apr dips. Watch for the typical fall climb starting in October.
240 incidents 2021–2025. Peak year was 2024. $2.2M cumulative property loss. 1 civilian deaths.
| Year | Incidents | YoY | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 45 | — | |
| 2022 | 42 | -6.7% | |
| 2023 | 51 | +21.4% | |
| 2024 | 52 | +2.0% | |
| 2025 | 50 | -3.8% |
For the 4 building fires Veneta departments responded to in 2025, here's how they were classified once investigators were finished.
NFIRS Area of Origin (AREA_ORIG) for the 53 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 | Engine area, running gear, wheel area | 9 | 17.0% | |
| 2 | Common room, den, family room, living room, lounge | 5 | 9.4% | |
| 3 | Undetermined | 5 | 9.4% | |
| 4 | Outside area, other | 4 | 7.5% | |
| 5 | Exterior, exposed surface | 3 | 5.7% | |
| 6 | Dining room, cafeteria bar area, beverage service | 2 | 3.8% | |
| 7 | Storage area, other | 2 | 3.8% | |
| 8 | Vehicle storage area; garage, carport | 2 | 3.8% | |
| 9 | Structural area, other | 2 | 3.8% | |
| 10 | Vehicle area, other | 2 | 3.8% | |
| 11 | All other areas | 17 | 32.1% |
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 Veneta mix.
| # | Heat source | Count | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arcing | 14 | 26.4% | |
| 2 | Undetermined | 12 | 22.6% | |
| 3 | Heat source: other | 6 | 11.3% | |
| 4 | Radiated, conducted heat from operating equipment | 6 | 11.3% | |
| 5 | Hot ember or ash | 4 | 7.5% | |
| 6 | Hot or smoldering object, other | 3 | 5.7% | |
| 7 | Heat from powered equipment, other | 2 | 3.8% | |
| 8 | Heat, spark from friction | 2 | 3.8% | |
| 9 | Spark, ember or flame from operating equipment | 1 | 1.9% | |
| 10 | Candle | 1 | 1.9% | |
| 11 | All other sources | 2 | 3.8% |
Largest single-incident property losses reported by Veneta departments in 2025. These 7 fires alone account for 100% of the city's annual total.
| # | Property loss | Type | Severity | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $200,000 | Building fires | Significant | Investigated |
| 2 | $70,000 | Building fires | Significant | Investigated |
| 3 | $35,000 | Building fires | Significant | Investigated |
| 4 | $30,000 | Passenger vehicle fire | Significant | Investigated |
| 5 | $20,000 | Building fires | Significant | Investigated |
| 6 | $3,000 | Passenger vehicle fire | Significant | Investigated |
| 7 | $500 | Passenger vehicle fire | Significant | Investigated |
Per-capita rates let us compare apples to apples. Veneta sits above the national average for incidents per resident.
Top 25 wildfires (1992+) in the FPA-FOD ignitions database, scaled by acres. 25,794 acres burned in this 50-mile radius. Each dot is a fire — bigger dots burned more land.
| Year | Cause | Acres | Distance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Natural | 10,114 | 39.0 mi | |
| 2014 | Natural | 6,033 | 44.3 mi | |
| 2003 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 4,964 | 38.7 mi | |
| 2014 | Arson/incendiarism | 790 | 17.6 mi | |
| 2003 | Equipment and vehicle use | 650 | 22.9 mi | |
| 2002 | Recreation and ceremony | 518 | 15.0 mi | |
| 2020 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 307 | 25.0 mi | |
| 1999 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 243 | 15.6 mi | |
| 1999 | Debris and open burning | 198 | 42.0 mi | |
| 2016 | Arson/incendiarism | 191 | 13.5 mi | |
| 2015 | Equipment and vehicle use | 187 | 17.2 mi | |
| 2002 | Arson/incendiarism | 160 | 45.9 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 Oregon cities with population within ±25% of Veneta. 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.