In 2025, fire departments serving Waverly responded to 20 fire and hazmat incidents — from cooking fires to gas leaks to a single $90K building blaze. Here's the full picture.
Building fires lead by count. Building fires lead by dollars. Together the top five categories make up about 75% of all calls.
Mar peaks. Feb dips. Watch for the typical fall climb starting in October.
99 incidents 2021–2025. Peak year was 2023. $1.1M cumulative property loss. 1 civilian deaths.
| Year | Incidents | YoY | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 13 | — | |
| 2022 | 18 | +38.5% | |
| 2023 | 28 | +55.6% | |
| 2024 | 20 | -28.6% | |
| 2025 | 20 | +0.0% |
For the 6 building fires Waverly departments responded to in 2025, here's how they were classified once investigators were finished.
NFIRS Area of Origin (AREA_ORIG) for the 39 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 | Other | 7 | 17.9% | |
| 2 | Outside area, other | 6 | 15.4% | |
| 3 | Undetermined | 6 | 15.4% | |
| 4 | Vehicle storage area; garage, carport | 3 | 7.7% | |
| 5 | Engine area, running gear, wheel area | 3 | 7.7% | |
| 6 | Storage room, area, tank, or bin | 2 | 5.1% | |
| 7 | Wall assembly | 2 | 5.1% | |
| 8 | Storage area, other | 1 | 2.6% | |
| 9 | Maintenance shop or area, paint shop or area | 1 | 2.6% | |
| 10 | Structural area, other | 1 | 2.6% | |
| 11 | All other areas | 7 | 17.9% |
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 Waverly mix.
| # | Heat source | Count | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Undetermined | 15 | 38.5% | |
| 2 | Hot ember or ash | 7 | 17.9% | |
| 3 | Hot or smoldering object, other | 5 | 12.8% | |
| 4 | Flame/torch used for lighting | 3 | 7.7% | |
| 5 | Heat from other open flame or smoking materials | 2 | 5.1% | |
| 6 | Heat source: other | 1 | 2.6% | |
| 7 | Heat from powered equipment, other | 1 | 2.6% | |
| 8 | Arcing | 1 | 2.6% | |
| 9 | Cigarette lighter | 1 | 2.6% | |
| 10 | Heat spread from another fire, other | 1 | 2.6% | |
| 11 | All other sources | 2 | 5.1% |
Largest single-incident property losses reported by Waverly departments in 2025. These 6 fires alone account for 100% of the city's annual total.
| # | Property loss | Type | Severity | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $90,000 | Off-road vehicle or heavy equipment fire | Significant | Investigated |
| 2 | $80,000 | Fire, other | Significant | Investigated |
| 3 | $63,000 | Building fires | Significant | Investigated |
| 4 | $55,000 | Building fires | Significant | Investigated |
| 5 | $16,500 | Off-road vehicle or heavy equipment fire | Significant | Investigated |
| 6 | $5,000 | Passenger vehicle fire | Significant | Investigated |
Per-capita rates let us compare apples to apples. Waverly sits above the national average for incidents per resident.
Top 25 wildfires (1992+) in the FPA-FOD ignitions database, scaled by acres. 3,097 acres burned in this 50-mile radius. Each dot is a fire — bigger dots burned more land.
| Year | Cause | Acres | Distance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1,475 | 49.9 mi | |
| 2012 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 200 | 27.7 mi | |
| 2009 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 160 | 48.2 mi | |
| 2014 | Debris and open burning | 140 | 45.8 mi | |
| 2006 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 100 | 49.2 mi | |
| 2014 | Debris and open burning | 96 | 46.3 mi | |
| 2007 | Equipment and vehicle use | 80 | 40.0 mi | |
| 2014 | Debris and open burning | 80 | 47.7 mi | |
| 2018 | Equipment and vehicle use | 80 | 48.6 mi | |
| 2008 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 75 | 28.5 mi | |
| 2010 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 75 | 31.0 mi | |
| 2011 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 60 | 17.3 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 Illinois cities with population within ±25% of Waverly. Useful comparison targets — same state, similar size, different fire profile.
1 departments report to NFIRS for incidents in Waverly.
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.