The calls in Niles included 48 fires - 20 structure fires, eight vehicle fires and 20 other fires. The fire department also responded to 18 calls for ruptures, explosions or overheating.
In all, the department saw $279,000 in fire loss - or about $5,813 per fire.
The department also received 572 false calls, including 27 malicious calls and 545 other false calls.
The Niles Firefighters Pension Fund, which has 50 active employees and 62 retired or inactive employees, was $1,131,939 in debt as of April 2017, according to the fund's mandated filings with the Illinois Department of Insurance. That amounts to $18,866 for every fire in 2017.
Niles Fire District fire incidents
| 2017 | 2018 | Year-over-year change (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Building Fires | 26 | 20 | -23.1 |
| Vehicle Fires | 11 | 8 | -27.3 |
| Other Fires | 23 | 20 | -13 |
| Total Fires | 60 | 48 | -20 |
| Total Calls | 704 | 638 | -9.4 |
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