Blazestack Fire Investigation Case Management Software. Schedule a free demo.

Fire Incidents in Chicago, Illinois (IL)

US Map


This section offers an overview of all fire incidents in Chicago, Illinois (IL). We analyzed the annual National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) Public Data Release files provided by the U.S. Fire Administration's (USFA) National Fire Data Center (NFDC) to get this data. Please note, this isn't a fire census. The input from the fire departments may contain human error but the proportion of fire incidents reported to NFIRS is large enough to make reasonable interferences.

Faster fire reports?

Get a two week free trial and
price quote just for your organization.

Get free trial

Trusted by Public & Private Fire Investigator Teams

Fire Incident Data for Chicago, Illinois (IL)

This page shows detailed fire incident data for Chicago in Illinois (IL). The data is sourced from NFIRS reports and shows incidents by cause and year.

Fire Incident Causes in Chicago

StateCityCause2023202220212020
Illinois (IL)ChicagoAct of nature90285249
Illinois (IL)ChicagoCause under investigation1249122713631457
Illinois (IL)ChicagoCause undetermined after investigation94610159831177
Illinois (IL)ChicagoCause0000
Illinois (IL)ChicagoFailure of equipment or heat source140214200186
Illinois (IL)ChicagoIntentional129193202241
Illinois (IL)ChicagoUnintentional1078134114521419

Wildland Fire Incident Causes in Chicago

StateCityCause2023202220212020
Illinois (IL)ChicagoDebris0000
Illinois (IL)ChicagoEquipment0000
Illinois (IL)ChicagoIncendiary0000
Illinois (IL)ChicagoMisuse of fire0000
Illinois (IL)ChicagoNatural source0000
Illinois (IL)ChicagoOpen/outdoor fire0000
Illinois (IL)ChicagoOther cause1000
Illinois (IL)ChicagoSmoking0000
Illinois (IL)ChicagoStructure (exposure)0000
Illinois (IL)ChicagoUndetermined0000

Arson Fire Incident Causes in Chicago

StateCityCause2023202220212020
Illinois (IL)ChicagoAttention/sympathy0000
Illinois (IL)ChicagoAuto theft concealment0000
Illinois (IL)ChicagoDomestic violence0000
Illinois (IL)ChicagoFireplay/curiosity0000
Illinois (IL)ChicagoInsurance fraud0000
Illinois (IL)ChicagoIntimidation0000
Illinois (IL)ChicagoOther motivation0000
Illinois (IL)ChicagoPersonal0000
Illinois (IL)ChicagoSuicide0000
Illinois (IL)ChicagoThrills0000

Juvenile Arson Fire Incident Causes in Chicago

StateCityCause2023202220212020
Illinois (IL)ChicagoExtended family0000
Illinois (IL)ChicagoFoster parents0000
Illinois (IL)ChicagoNo Family Unit0000
Illinois (IL)ChicagoOther family type0000
Illinois (IL)ChicagoSingle parent family0000
Illinois (IL)ChicagoTwo parent family0000
Illinois (IL)ChicagoUnknown0000

Causes of Fire Incidents with Civilian Casualties in Chicago

StateCityCause2023202220212020
Illinois (IL)ChicagoDeath25212622
Illinois (IL)ChicagoLife threatening19121511
Illinois (IL)ChicagoMinor12222523
Illinois (IL)ChicagoModerate20203123
Illinois (IL)ChicagoSEVERITY OF INJURY0000
Illinois (IL)ChicagoSevere23142314
Illinois (IL)ChicagoUndetermined0035

Causes of Fire Incidents with Fire Service Casualties in Chicago

StateCityCause2023202220212020
Illinois (IL)ChicagoDeath6344
Illinois (IL)ChicagoLife threatening47383129
Illinois (IL)ChicagoMinor2310
Illinois (IL)ChicagoModerate2321
Illinois (IL)ChicagoSevere21222013
Illinois (IL)ChicagoUndetermined0000

Where is Fire Incident Data Coming From? NFIRS

The NFIRS is a reporting standard that fire departments use to uniformly report on the full range of their activities, from fire to emergency medical services (EMS) to equipment involved in the response.

Anyone analyzing the NFIRS data should note that NFIRS is neither a random sample nor a census of fire incidents or casualties in the United States. As such, the analyst may not accurately make estimates of total fires, fire losses, or fire casualties in the United States from NFIRS data alone. Similarly, statistical means (averages) or standard error measurements taken from NFIRS describe the population of fire incidents related to fire departments that participate in NFIRS but do not describe the population of fire incidents in the Nation as a whole. However, the proportion of fire incidents reported to NFIRS is large enough that reasonable inferences can be made that the proportions of fires in NFIRS are similar to the true national measurements.