ZIP 21797 recorded 68 fire and hazmat incidents in 2025, 323 across 2021–2025. Primary county: Carroll County, MD.
323 incidents from 2021 through 2025 inside this ZIP.
| Year | Incidents | |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 46 | |
| 2022 | 59 | |
| 2023 | 73 | |
| 2024 | 77 | |
| 2025 | 68 |
Aug peaks. May dips. Aggregated across all 5 years inside this ZIP.
Top 5 NFIRS incident types for ZIP 21797 across 2021–2025.
| # | Incident type | Count | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Power line down | 60 | 18.6% | |
| 2 | Building fires | 56 | 17.3% | |
| 3 | Gas leak (natural gas or LPG) | 32 | 9.9% | |
| 4 | Electrical wiring/equipment problem, other | 17 | 5.3% | |
| 5 | Unauthorized burning | 15 | 4.6% |
For the 11 building fires reported here in 2025, here's how investigators classified ignition cause.
NFIRS Area of Origin for ZIP 21797 fires across 2021–2025.
| # | Area of origin | Count | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Undetermined | 11 | 17.5% | |
| 2 | Engine area, running gear, wheel area | 5 | 7.9% | |
| 3 | Open area - outside; included are farmland, field | 5 | 7.9% | |
| 4 | Other | 4 | 6.3% | |
| 5 | Exterior, exposed surface | 4 | 6.3% | |
| 6 | Outside area, other | 4 | 6.3% | |
| 7 | Wildland, woods | 4 | 6.3% | |
| 8 | Structural area, other | 3 | 4.8% | |
| 9 | All other areas | 23 | 36.5% |
NFIRS HEAT_SOURC code — the physical thing that started the fire.
| # | Heat source | Count | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Undetermined | 30 | 47.6% | |
| 2 | Hot ember or ash | 8 | 12.7% | |
| 3 | Arcing | 6 | 9.5% | |
| 4 | Heat from powered equipment, other | 4 | 6.3% | |
| 5 | Hot or smoldering object, other | 4 | 6.3% | |
| 6 | Radiated, conducted heat from operating equipment | 3 | 4.8% | |
| 7 | Lightning | 2 | 3.2% | |
| 8 | Heat from direct flame, convection currents | 2 | 3.2% | |
| 9 | All other sources | 4 | 6.3% |
Largest single-incident losses in ZIP 21797 across 2021–2025. These 8 fires alone account for 785% of the ZIP's 2025 reported total.
| # | Property loss | Type | Year | Severity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $275,000 | Building fires | 2023 | Major |
| 2 | $200,000 | Building fires | 2022 | Significant |
| 3 | $175,000 | Building fires | 2021 | Significant |
| 4 | $150,000 | Building fires | 2024 | Significant |
| 5 | $75,000 | Building fires | 2022 | Significant |
| 6 | $75,000 | Building fires | 2025 | Significant |
| 7 | $60,000 | Fire in motor home, camper, recreational vehicle | 2025 | Significant |
| 8 | $50,000 | Off-road vehicle or heavy equipment fire | 2024 | Significant |
Some ZIPs span multiple counties. The primary above is the largest by population weight; secondary counties are below.
| County | State | Weight | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Howard County | MD | 1.00 | FIPS 24027 |
The figures above are historical. For today's air quality, fire-weather warnings, and active fires, go to the official sources.
NFIRS reports each fire incident with a 5-digit address ZIP. We aggregate those rows directly to produce ZIP-level totals — 323 incidents in this ZIP across 2021–2025. Building-fire breakdowns (Area of Origin, Heat Source, ignition cause) only count fires investigators classified beyond the basic incident report. Because NFIRS reporting is voluntary, totals are a strong indicator rather than a complete census.