Number of 2023 fires not out of line – but the severity is

Eden Prairie residents have been rattled by four major house fires resulting in two deaths over the last three months. But, while the severity of fires is up significantly over previous years, the overall number of structure fires is not.

Structure fires – just a small portion of the total number of fire calls – number seven so far in 2023. This indicated that Eden Prairie is on track to surpass the total of nine structure fires in all of 2022, but perhaps not the 19 structure fires in 2021 or the 27 in 2020.

And yet, the extent of fire-related building damage so far this year, $1.78 million, has already surpassed what was recorded for each of the past four years. The total building dollar loss in 2019 was $1.3 million (spread over 18 structure fires), $1.1 million in 2020, $1.2 million in 2021, and $660,000 last year.

“What you’re feeling, and what our community is feeling, is right on,” Fire Chief Scott Gerber said Tuesday. “They have been more significant in the last several months.”

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The details:

• A man died in a June 25 house fire in the 12000 block of Oxbow Drive, near Homeward Hills Road.
• One male sustained a non-threatening injury in a June 12 house fire in the 18000 block of Broadmoor Drive.
• A family narrowly escaped a June 2 fire at their home at 10310 Lee Drive, and a neighboring home also sustained significant damage.
• A woman died in an April 14 house fire in the 17000 block of Rustic Hills Drive.

“And that activity has affected people, it’s affected their homes, it’s affected their neighborhoods, it’s affected their community,” Gerber said. “It’s also affected our responders, because those have impacts on all of us as we respond as well.”

The larger picture on Eden Prairie fire calls was provided to the Eden Prairie City Council on Tuesday, July 11, by Gerber. It was a report requested by the council.

“We have a really great fire department with a wonderful response time,” Mayor Ron Case said about the presentation request. “The perception or feeling was that we only have had one or two houses per year, maybe, that burned significantly. We had four within five weeks? Well, a lot.”

Added the mayor: It raised questions about whether we’re seeing an unusual number of significant house fires in 2023 and, if so, why.

But the number of fires isn’t out of line with past years, according to Gerber.

The total number of fires so far in 2023 is 19 and is in line with the average yearly total for the past four years: 58. (In addition to structure fires, this total can include fires involving vehicles, appliances, brush, trash, and outbuildings.)

“So we’re actually below where we would be in a normal year,” said Gerber. “But as you’ve stated, and you’re very accurate, our calls have been more significant in the last three months than they have been before.”

Last year, 23% of all calls to the Eden Prairie Fire Department (EPFD) were fire-related, as opposed to 68% being medical-related. So far this year, 21% are fire-related and 71% are medical-related.

While the number of structure fires and total fire calls for 2023 is in line with past years, the total calls for service – fire, medical, and miscellaneous – is increasing.

Comparing all calls to EPFD for just the first six months of the year, the department is at 1,538 total calls for 2023. That compares to 1,235 calls in the first half of 2022. It’s above the 1,119 total calls in the first half of 2021, and the 1,036 total calls in the first half of 2020.

Gerber says it’s important for residents to take fire prevention to heart. The department’s ongoing advice:

• Have smoke alarms; check them regularly and replace batteries as needed.
• Have a good home exit plan in case of fire.
• Discard smoking materials properly.
• And, never leave cooking unattended.

Said Gerber: “It’s really important, and one of the core parts of our fire department – has been for a lot of years – has been our prevention message.”