GFFD sees record call volume in 2021

The Grand Forks Fire Department responded to a record number of calls in 2021.

Fire teams were dispatched to 5,631 different events last year. That’s 465 more than 2020 and eight more than the previous all-time high in 2019.

Fire Chief Gary Lorenz attributes the increase in volume to city growth.  “As cities grow…buildings of themselves typically don’t cause calls…it’s people.”

Lorenz says the vast majority of calls are not fire related.  “This is not unique to Grand Forks.  It’s pretty much every fire department that provides similar services and round 70% are EMS in nature.”

The department extinguished 130 fires last year causing some $735,000 dollars in damage. The value of the property impacted came in at $58.4 million.  In 2021 28.7% of all structure fires were cooking related…..18.3% smoking related.