Hilton Head saw record fire, EMT calls in 2025
Hilton Head Island Fire Rescue responded to a record number of calls in 2025, a new report shows.
Hilton Head Island Fire Rescue now responds to an average of 27 calls per day, according to a report from the department. Fire Rescue oversees both fire response and emergency medical services for the Town of Hilton Head Island.
Fire Chief Chris Blankenship presented the report at a Town of Hilton Head Island Community Development and Public Services Committee Meeting held Monday.
The number of calls increases each year, Blankenship said. He called 2025 “another record-breaking year” for the department. Demand for firefighters, paramedics and EMTs on Hilton Head has increased in recent years as tourism booms and the population ages.
More calls each year
Hilton Head Island Fire Rescue does more than just fight fires. The department also operates a dispatch center that handles all 911 calls originating from Hilton Head Island and Daufuskie Island. They also handle emergency medical services, meaning if you see an ambulance responding to an emergency on Hilton Head, that’s the work of Hilton Head Island Fire Rescue.
In 2025, Hilton Head Island Fire Rescue responded to total 10,040 calls, including 2,404 fire incidents, 7,448 EMS calls, 130 rescue incidents and 58 hazardous material incidents.
The total volume of calls increased by less than 1% compared to the previous year, but has increased by 15% since 2021, according to the report.
About 80% of calls are EMS-related, Blankenship said. Hilton Head residents 65 and older make up the bulk of calls, he said.
“The older we get in the community, in the community, the more calls we tend to run,” Blankenship said.
Fewer structure fires
Hilton Head firefighters responded to 26 burning buildings in 2025, according to the report. That’s fewer calls than the previous year, which saw 33 building fires.
Zero lives were lost as the result of a fire on Hilton Head in 2025, although one fire-related injury was reported. By comparison, there was one fire fatality and one fire injury in Hilton Head in 2024.
Fire officials estimated that they saved over $193 million in property from fire damage, but over $4.6 million in property value was lost, according to the report.
Response times improving
The time it takes for first responders to arrive on the scene after a person calls 911 has decreased from 2024 to 2025.
On average, it took emergency medical services 8 minutes and 44 seconds to respond to calls in 2025, a 19-second improvement from the year before, but still short of the target time of 8 minutes and 5 seconds.
Response times for fire calls were slightly better, averaging 7 minutes and 56 seconds in 2025, a 43-second decrease from the year before.
Fire department gets ‘new digs’
Hilton Head Fire Rescue recently moved into their new headquarters at 10 Park Lane.
The Town of Hilton Head Island finalized purchases on the properties at 10 Park Lane and 9 Park Lane in January for a total of $7.65 million.
9 Park Lane, the site of a former seafood restaurant, will be demolished and used for parking and open spaces to support the fire department.
Notable fires on Hilton Head over the years
One of the most notable fires to happen on Hilton Head last year was the Dec. 21 fire that destroyed the home of the owners of a Hilton Head restaurant. The couple and their eight-month-old daughter were not at home when the fire broke out, and their pets made it out of the home safely.
In 2022, a fire at a short-term rental home in Palmetto Dunes took the life of a 65-year-old tourist from Missouri, sparking conversations about the need for stronger fire safety regulations in short-term rentals.
The survivors and families of the deceased later sued the property owners and rental company, alleging that the residence’s smoke alarms never went off.
