A public data analysis of fire incidents, seasonal hotspots, root causes, and community risk factors across the City of Brockton — built to inform, protect, and empower residents.
BFD fire incident counts from publicly released response statistics spanning 2001–2020. The data shows a long-term upward trend, with a notable spike in 2020. Formal 2021–2025 fire-specific counts are pending MFIRS publication.
Fire risk in Brockton follows predictable seasonal patterns tied to heating behaviors, cooking habits, outdoor activity, and housing density. Two primary peak periods emerge each year, with distinct causes and vulnerable populations.
December through February sees the most severe residential fires in Brockton. Cold temperatures drive increased reliance on heating equipment, and older housing stock poses structural hazards worsened by freeze-thaw cycles.
March through May brings outdoor burning violations, early grilling activity, and an uptick in suspicious fires as vacant buildings warm up and arson activity rises with longer daylight hours.
June through August sees fireworks-related fires around July 4th, cooking equipment incidents from outdoor gatherings, and vehicle fires from overheated engines. Children are at higher risk as school is out.
September through November is the lowest-risk window, but the transition into heating season (October–November) begins to increase incident frequency. Candle use around holidays becomes a growing factor.
Based on Massachusetts MFIRS data, BFD incident reports, and state fire marshal findings, these are the leading causes of residential and commercial fires affecting Brockton residents.
Fire risk is not evenly distributed. Certain Brockton residents face significantly higher exposure and lower survivability due to housing type, age, language access, or time of day when fires occur.
⚠ Most fires occur 5–8 PM, but overnight fires (midnight–6 AM) are disproportionately fatal because residents are asleep and unaware.
Brockton-specific fatality counts are not publicly disaggregated from Plymouth County data. The figures below reflect Massachusetts statewide trends, which provide the most relevant context available without a formal public records request.
ZIP-code-level incident data from the NFIRS Public Data Release (2020–2024) reveals a stark geographic concentration of fire and emergency calls within Brockton's two ZIP codes. Source: FireServiceData.org / NFIRS PDR via U.S. Fire Administration.
ⓘ Data covers all incident types (EMS, fires, service calls, false alarms) for BFD units, 2020–2024. Total: 131,180 incidents across 5 years. Fire-specific address breakdown requires a public records request to BFD.
02301 covers the western and central portions of Brockton — including the Main Street commercial corridor, Montello, Downtown, and the West Side. It carries nearly three-quarters of all citywide incident burden.
02302 covers the eastern and northern portions — Campello, East Side, and Cary Hill. Despite being lower in total volume, this ZIP includes several high-density multi-family corridors with elevated fire risk.
The BFD operates six stations across the city. Publicly released unit-level response statistics (2019–2020 BFD data) allow us to rank each station's workload. The station serving downtown and central Brockton carries the heaviest burden by a significant margin.
⚠ Important Note for Readers: The response figures shown below represent total unit responses across all incident types — including EMS calls, false alarms, service calls, and fires. They are not an isolated count of fire-specific responses. Units like Squad A and Ladder 1 are dispatched citywide to nearly every major incident, which significantly inflates Station 1's totals. To obtain a breakdown of fire-only responses by station district, a formal public records request must be submitted to the Brockton Fire Department at [email protected]. See the Data Request section below for a ready-to-send letter template.
Reader Note: These figures represent total unit responses across all call types (EMS, fire, alarms, service calls). A unit appearing with high volume — especially Squad A and Ladder 1 — reflects citywide dispatch protocols, not solely fire incidents in that station's district. Fire-specific counts by station require a public records request.
Aggregate annual statistics for 2025 have not yet been publicly released by BFD or MFIRS. The following incidents are documented from news reporting and BFD public communications.
The BFD and state fire marshal consistently emphasize that most fire deaths are preventable. These are the highest-impact actions Brockton residents can take today.
Brockton-specific fire fatality and incident data beyond what is publicly posted requires a formal public records request. The template below is ready to send.
For neighborhood-level fire data, Brockton-specific fatality counts, and cause-of-fire breakdowns, you can contact the following agencies directly. Under Massachusetts Public Records Law (G.L. c. 66, § 10), agencies must respond within 10 business days.