Jacksonville fire department logs 940 structure fires in Duval in 2025

Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department personnel responded to 940 structure fires across Duval County last year, a volume that has prompted city officials to launch an intensified fire prevention campaign this week aimed at reducing the toll on residents and the city's emergency infrastructure.

Mayor Donna Deegan proclaimed this week Fire Prevention Week in Jacksonville, and JFRD Director/Fire Chief Percy Golden II is using the occasion to push basic fire safety habits that officials say can prevent the majority of residential fire emergencies. The department will host a free community safety event Saturday, October 10, at Lonnie C. Miller Sr. Regional Park from 10 a. m. to 2 p. m.

What JFRD is reporting

The 940 structure fires last year represent incidents that "changed someone's life in a matter of minutes," Golden said in announcing the campaign, which the department is calling "Before the Sirens. " The campaign emphasizes actions homeowners can take before a fire starts or before emergency crews are dispatched.

JFRD, one of the largest fire departments in the Southeast, operates 71 stations across 885 square miles of Duval County with approximately 1,900 personnel. The department responds to more than 100,000 calls for service annually, including fires, medical emergencies, hazardous materials incidents, and technical rescues, serving a population exceeding 1 million residents.

Throughout Fire Prevention Week, JFRD is highlighting several key safety topics: the importance of visible street address numbers so crews can locate homes quickly when seconds count; smoke alarm and fire extinguisher basics; lithium-ion battery charging safety for phones, e-bikes, scooters, and other devices; and real-life experiences from JFRD firefighters, including one firefighter's account of being burned and lessons for families.

The Saturday event at Lonnie C. Miller Sr. Regional Park—a partnership between JFRD and the city's Neighborhoods Department—will feature live demonstrations, opportunities to meet firefighters, prizes, and hands-on practice with fire safety skills. Families can ask questions directly of JFRD personnel.

What 940 fires means for Duval homeowners

Nearly 1,000 structure fires in a single year translates to an average of roughly 2. 6 fires per day somewhere in Duval County, a pace that underscores both the strain on JFRD resources and the persistent risk facing residential and commercial property owners across Jacksonville's sprawling footprint.

Structure fires—distinct from vehicle fires, brush fires, or other types of fire calls—typically involve homes, apartment buildings, commercial buildings, and other occupied or habitable structures. Each incident requires a multi-unit response, often pulling crews from several stations, and can leave families displaced for weeks or months during repairs.

The consolidated city-county geography of Duval means JFRD's service territory stretches from the beaches and the Intracoastal Waterway west to the Baldwin area and from the Nassau County line south to the St. Johns River's southern reaches in Mandarin. Response times and station proximity vary widely across that 885-square-mile area, making prevention and early detection through working smoke alarms critical in neighborhoods farther from urban cores.

Insurance costs for homeowners are also shaped by fire risk and department response capability. Properties with functional smoke alarms, sprinkler systems, and proximity to fire hydrants and stations can sometimes qualify for lower premiums, while the regional insurance market—already under pressure from hurricane and flood exposure—treats fire loss history and prevention infrastructure as material underwriting factors.

Why address numbers and smoke alarms matter in an emergency

JFRD's emphasis on visible house numbers reflects a straightforward operational reality: crews cannot fight a fire or deliver medical aid if they cannot find the address. In sprawling suburban subdivisions, along winding Westside or Northside roads, or in older neighborhoods with inconsistent street lighting, the seconds lost searching for an unmarked or obscured address can mean the difference between a kitchen fire contained to one room and a total loss.

Chief Golden's call for residents to ensure house numbers are "easy to see from the street, day and night" is a low-cost step that has immediate impact on emergency response effectiveness. Reflective numbers, adequate size (typically at least four inches tall), and placement visible from the road in both directions are the standard recommendations.

Smoke alarms are the other pillar of the prevention message. JFRD is urging residents to install alarms on every level of the home, inside each bedroom, and outside each sleeping area, and to test them monthly. Early detection gives occupants time to escape and gives responding crews advance notice, often through monitored alarm systems that automatically alert dispatchers.

The campaign also addresses an emerging fire risk: lithium-ion batteries in consumer electronics, e-bikes, and scooters. Battery fires can ignite rapidly and burn intensely, and fire departments nationwide have reported an uptick in incidents tied to aftermarket chargers, damaged batteries, or unsafe charging practices such as overnight charging on beds or sofas. JFRD's guidance is to charge devices on hard surfaces, use the manufacturer's charger, and unplug once fully charged.

Home escape planning and what families should practice

JFRD is encouraging every household to create and practice a home escape plan with two ways out of every room. The concept is rooted in the speed with which residential fires can become unsurvivable: modern home furnishings and construction materials can produce fatal heat and smoke conditions in a matter of minutes, leaving occupants little margin for hesitation or confusion.

An escape plan should identify primary and secondary exits from each bedroom and common area, designate an outside meeting place where everyone will gather to confirm all occupants are out, and be practiced regularly so that children and adults alike can execute it in darkness or disorientation. In multifamily buildings, residents should know stairwell locations and avoid using elevators during a fire.

The department's message is that small, repeated actions—testing alarms, rehearsing exits, keeping exits clear of storage—compound into meaningful risk reduction. "Small habits make a big difference," Golden said, framing the campaign as an investment of minutes that can prevent life-altering loss.

What happens next

Fire Prevention Week runs through this week, with JFRD disseminating safety messages and real stories from firefighters via MyJFRD. com and the department's social media channels. The campaign content includes video and written material on each of the key topics, designed for residents to access on their own schedules.

The centerpiece public event is Saturday, October 10, from 10 a. m. to 2 p. m. at Lonnie C. Miller Sr. Regional Park. The park, located in Northwest Jacksonville, will host live fire safety demonstrations, hands-on activities for children and adults, Q&A sessions with firefighters, and prize drawings. The event is free and open to all Duval County residents.

Additional fire safety resources, including downloadable escape plan templates and smoke alarm installation guides, are available year-round at MyJFRD. com. Residents who need assistance with smoke alarm installation or who have specific questions about fire safety in their homes can contact JFRD through the website or by calling the department's non-emergency information line.

JFRD's prevention campaign comes as Jacksonville continues to add residential density in downtown, along the Southside and Baymeadows corridors, and in fast-growing suburban areas such as the Westside and the edges of Duval near Clay and St. Johns counties. More rooftops and more residents increase the baseline demand on fire and emergency medical services, making the case for prevention—and the return on public investment in community education—more acute as the region grows.