In 2025, fire departments serving Swain County responded to 253 fire and hazmat incidents — including a single $270K property loss. FEMA NRI rates wildfire risk here as High.
Aircraft standby lead by count. Top five categories make up about 64% of all calls.
Mar peaks. Aug dips.
1,546 incidents from 2021 through 2025.
| Year | Incidents | |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 322 | |
| 2022 | 336 | |
| 2023 | 311 | |
| 2024 | 324 | |
| 2025 | 253 |
For the 36 building fires departments responded to in 2025, here's how investigators classified them.
Largest single-incident property losses in Swain County during 2025. These 10 fires alone account for 92% of the county's total.
| # | Property loss | City | Type | Severity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $270,000 | Bryson City | Building fires | Major |
| 2 | $250,000 | CHEROKEE | Building fires | Major |
| 3 | $200,000 | Bryson City | Building fires | Significant |
| 4 | $140,240 | Bryson City | Building fires | Significant |
| 5 | $75,000 | Bryson City | Building fires | Significant |
| 6 | $70,000 | Cherokee | Building fires | Significant |
| 7 | $40,000 | Bryson City | Building fires | Significant |
| 8 | $25,000 | Bryson City | Fire in mobile home used as fixed residence | Significant |
| 9 | $25,000 | CHEROKEE | Passenger vehicle fire | Significant |
| 10 | $20,000 | Bryson City | Passenger vehicle fire | Significant |
Per-capita rates let us compare apples to apples.
12 cities mapped to FIPS 37173.
| City | Population | |
|---|---|---|
| Bryson City | 1,638 | View › |
| Cherokee | 1,604 | View › |
| Franklin Grove | 0 | View › |
| De Hart Mill | 0 | View › |
| Three Forks | 0 | View › |
| Wesser | 0 | View › |
| Ela | 0 | View › |
| Alarka | 0 | View › |
| Big Laurel | 0 | View › |
| Lauada | 0 | View › |
| Halls Ford | 0 | View › |
| Birdtown | 0 | View › |
4 departments report from this county.
Top 10 fire perimeters by acres burned (state-scoped fallback while we build out per-county polygons).
| # | Name | Year | Agency | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GREAT LAKES | 2023 | USFS | 32,155 |
| 2 | Whipping Creek Road | 2016 | PRI | 15,456 |
| 3 | COLLETT RIDGE | 2023 | USFS | 5,506 |
| 4 | St Mary's | 2008 | NPS | 4,565 |
| 5 | Carolina Bay | 2009 | USFS | 2,659 |
| 6 | Big Ditch | 2021 | FWS | 1,486 |
| 7 | HANCOCK CREEK | 2022 | USFS | 1,177 |
| 8 | BUCK MTN | 2002 | NPS | 1,124 |
| 9 | NCMCR-FY19-RX-1.1.2.b | 2019 | FWS | 1,080 |
| 10 | VAF220152 | 2022 | NPS | 1,079 |
County-level NFIRS aggregates for 2025, plus 5-year totals across 2021–2025. NFIRS is voluntary — about 23,000 of roughly 30,000 US fire departments report — so totals are a strong indicator, not a complete census. Wildfire risk score (0–100) and Expected Annual Loss come from FEMA's National Risk Index. Drought class is the most recent USDM classification (D0 = abnormally dry through D4 = exceptional drought). Historical fire perimeters are sourced from the NIFC InterAgency Fire Perimeter History.