In 2025, fire departments serving Webster responded to 34 fire and hazmat incidents — from cooking fires to gas leaks to a single $400K 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 65% of all calls.
May peaks. Dec dips. Watch for the typical fall climb starting in October.
229 incidents 2021–2025. Peak year was 2023. $6.8M cumulative property loss.
| Year | Incidents | YoY | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 47 | — | |
| 2022 | 44 | -6.4% | |
| 2023 | 52 | +18.2% | |
| 2024 | 52 | +0.0% | |
| 2025 | 34 | -34.6% |
For the 8 building fires Webster departments responded to in 2025, here's how they were classified once investigators were finished.
NFIRS Area of Origin (AREA_ORIG) for the 65 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 | 10 | 15.4% | |
| 2 | Vehicle area, other | 8 | 12.3% | |
| 3 | Other | 5 | 7.7% | |
| 4 | Structural area, other | 5 | 7.7% | |
| 5 | Outside area, other | 4 | 6.2% | |
| 6 | Common room, den, family room, living room, lounge | 3 | 4.6% | |
| 7 | Storage area, other | 3 | 4.6% | |
| 8 | Duct: hvac, cable, exhaust, heating, or AC | 3 | 4.6% | |
| 9 | Engine area, running gear, wheel area | 3 | 4.6% | |
| 10 | Cooking area, kitchen | 2 | 3.1% | |
| 11 | All other areas | 19 | 29.2% |
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 Webster mix.
| # | Heat source | Count | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Undetermined | 24 | 36.9% | |
| 2 | Heat source: other | 10 | 15.4% | |
| 3 | Heat from powered equipment, other | 9 | 13.8% | |
| 4 | Hot ember or ash | 5 | 7.7% | |
| 5 | Spark, ember or flame from operating equipment | 4 | 6.2% | |
| 6 | Radiated, conducted heat from operating equipment | 4 | 6.2% | |
| 7 | Arcing | 3 | 4.6% | |
| 8 | Hot or smoldering object, other | 1 | 1.5% | |
| 9 | Cigarette | 1 | 1.5% | |
| 10 | Cigarette lighter | 1 | 1.5% | |
| 11 | All other sources | 3 | 4.6% |
Largest single-incident property losses reported by Webster departments in 2025. These 8 fires alone account for 100% of the city's annual total.
| # | Property loss | Type | Severity | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $400,000 | Building fires | Major | Investigated |
| 2 | $100,000 | Fire in motor home, camper, recreational vehicle | Significant | Investigated |
| 3 | $80,000 | Building fires | Significant | Investigated |
| 4 | $20,000 | Building fires | Significant | Investigated |
| 5 | $20,000 | Building fires | Significant | Investigated |
| 6 | $12,000 | Building fires | Significant | Investigated |
| 7 | $8,000 | Building fires | Significant | Investigated |
| 8 | $4,000 | Fire, other | Significant | Investigated |
Per-capita rates let us compare apples to apples. Webster sits above the national average for incidents per resident.
Top 25 wildfires (1992+) in the FPA-FOD ignitions database, scaled by acres. 15,586 acres burned in this 50-mile radius. Each dot is a fire — bigger dots burned more land.
| Year | Cause | Acres | Distance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Equipment and vehicle use | 7,499 | 43.4 mi | |
| 2000 | Debris and open burning | 1,350 | 9.5 mi | |
| 2004 | Railroad operations and maintenance | 835 | 37.4 mi | |
| 1999 | Equipment and vehicle use | 700 | 46.0 mi | |
| 2013 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 656 | 13.1 mi | |
| 2007 | Equipment and vehicle use | 487 | 45.7 mi | |
| 2004 | Railroad operations and maintenance | 358 | 35.8 mi | |
| 2004 | Arson/incendiarism | 335 | 41.2 mi | |
| 2004 | Railroad operations and maintenance | 298 | 35.4 mi | |
| 2000 | Debris and open burning | 275 | 25.0 mi | |
| 2004 | Arson/incendiarism | 250 | 24.7 mi | |
| 2004 | Railroad operations and maintenance | 244 | 32.9 mi |
Top 4 ZIP codes by NFIRS incident count across 2021–2025. Each ZIP has its own fire profile — dive in for neighborhood-level context.
Six Wisconsin cities with population within ±25% of Webster. Useful comparison targets — same state, similar size, different fire profile.
2 departments report to NFIRS for incidents in Webster.
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.