Charlottesville Fire/EMS Incidents up seven percent in FY25

The Charlottesville Fire Department is on track to have a busier fiscal year than the previous one.

Firefighters and medics responded to a total of 6,027 incidents from July 2024 to March 2025, up seven percent from the same period in FY24.

“Fire incidents increased by 42 percent, EMS incidents decreased by 4 percent and all other types of incidents increased by 23 percent,” Thomas wrote in the latest report from Charlottesville department heads.

However, FY2025 is still below FY2023 which saw a total of 6,292 incidents from July 2022 to March 2023.

Thomas said cooking fires are up 84 percent this year compared to 2024.

“Other type” is not defined in the report and a request for clarification is pending.

The fire department also keeps track of the number of opioid overdoses.

“CFD and [Charlottesville-Albemarle Rescue Squad] have run an average of about five overdoses monthly in 2025, a decrease from 2024’s average of six overdoses monthly,” the report continues.

Thomas said the department began last June to track the number of emergency responses for people who are unhoused.

“Our records show that over the last nine months, CFD and CARS have responded to 40 unhoused patients monthly on average,” Thomas wrote. “The top three findings of attendants in charge on these incidents were non-traumatic pain (17.8 percent of calls), alcohol abuse (14.1 percent of calls), and bodily injuries (11 percent of calls).”

Thomas also reported on recent structure fires.

• A fire at 1401 Melbourne Road has been ruled as accidental with damages assessed at $250,000. Hawes Spencer reports for the Charlottesville Daily Progress that this is the second fire at this location in 2023.
• A fire on McCormick Road was deemed an accidental lab fire.
• A fire on Ridge Street was accidental with damages assessed at $4,000
• A fire on 2nd Street SW is still under investigation with damages assessed at $30,000. The Daily Progress reports this was at Revolutionary Soup. Their headline is Arson suspected after fire at downtown Charlottesville eatery but Thomas states in his report that the Virginia Forensics Lab continues to investigate.

Before you go: This story was initially sent out as part of the April 21, 2025 edition of Charlottesville Community Engagement. Want to support it? I’m now routing people to this page.