St. Johns County Fire Rescue has seen an increase in house fires compared to last year. | St. Johns County Fire Rescue
Published on May 27, 2025 at 2:40 pm
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St. Johns County Fire Rescue responded to a house fire on Memorial Day in the northern part of the county. Fire marshals are still working to determine what caused the fire, but firefighters determined that the blaze began in the home’s garage and traveled into the attic.
No one was hurt, and the fire department said that damage to nearby structures was minimal, but as St. Johns County’s population continues to increase, fires like this one are becoming more common.
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Since the start of the year, St. Johns County Fire Rescue reports 81 house fires, a 6.5% increase form the same period last year.
Fire Rescue spokesman Chris Naff says the uptick can largely be attributed to St. Johns County’s booming population. While the county doesn’t have the most recent numbers, the county saw a population increase of around 4.5% from 2023 to 2024.
In addition to population growth, Naff says changes in the way neighborhoods are organized are contributing to the increase, too.
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As more all-inclusive communities build out — like Nocatee, with its own Publix and expansive shopping center — Naff says more and more people are leaving their cars at home and getting around on alternative forms of transportation like electric vehicles.
But if those vehicles aren’t maintained properly, they could spark a fire that could endanger you and your home.
“Any kind of electric vehicle — golf carts, e-bikes — charge them outside. When you’re done with them, the biggest thing is to unplug them from the wall,” Naff says. “Make sure they’re only charged to 100%, and don’t just sit there and leave them on charge overnight, throughout the day, while you’re not home. Just make sure you’re there to monitor them.”
He says everyone should ensure they have a fire extinguisher handy. Naff also suggests installing a smoke detector in the garage if a home does not already have one.
To support the area’s growing population, St. Johns County Fire Rescue continues to grow and expand its roster of fire stations.
“We just put a new station online at the end of last year,” he says, “and there’s going to be one going on at the end of this year.”
In addition to those, the county plans to build three additional fire stations in north St. Johns County — where the most explosive growth has taken place in recent years — by 2030.
