Wildfire risk has grown dramatically across the western United States over the past two decades. As development expands into the wildland-urban interface and climate change intensifies fire seasons, an increasing number of counties face severe wildfire exposure.
Using FEMA National Risk Index wildfire risk scores, we identified the 25 counties with the highest wildfire risk in America.
The 25 Counties with the Highest Wildfire Risk
San Diego County, California leads with a wildfire risk score of 100. These counties face the greatest wildfire exposure:
| Rank | County | State | Wildfire Risk | Composite Risk | Earthquake Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Diego County, California | CA | 100 | 99.7137 | 99.6819 |
| 2 | Riverside County, California | CA | 99.9682 | 99.9046 | 99.8092 |
| 3 | Los Angeles County, California | CA | 99.9364 | 100 | 100 |
| 4 | San Bernardino County, California | CA | 99.9046 | 99.841 | 99.841 |
| 5 | Elko County, Nevada | NV | 99.8728 | 87.9135 | 84.1603 |
| 6 | Washington County, Utah | UT | 99.841 | 92.8117 | 81.0751 |
| 7 | Orange County, California | CA | 99.8092 | 99.8092 | 99.8728 |
| 8 | Ventura County, California | CA | 99.7774 | 99.3957 | 99.6501 |
| 9 | Kern County, California | CA | 99.7455 | 98.8868 | 99.4275 |
| 10 | El Dorado County, California | CA | 99.7137 | 91.4122 | 91.5712 |
| 11 | Kittitas County, Washington | WA | 99.6819 | 89.1221 | 93.8613 |
| 12 | Pima County, Arizona | AZ | 99.6501 | 99.1094 | 91.7303 |
| 13 | Maricopa County, Arizona | AZ | 99.6183 | 99.8728 | 96.8193 |
| 14 | Yavapai County, Arizona | AZ | 99.5865 | 93.7341 | 85.3053 |
| 15 | Chelan County, Washington | WA | 99.5547 | 90.8715 | 88.7723 |
| 16 | Jefferson County, Colorado | CO | 99.5229 | 94.9427 | 84.0331 |
| 17 | Shasta County, California | CA | 99.4911 | 93.3842 | 96.5331 |
| 18 | Calaveras County, California | CA | 99.4593 | 86.6094 | 76.7494 |
| 19 | Nevada County, California | CA | 99.4275 | 89.8855 | 92.112 |
| 20 | Coconino County, Arizona | AZ | 99.3957 | 94.2112 | 90.3626 |
| 21 | Madera County, California | CA | 99.3639 | 96.4377 | 96.8511 |
| 22 | Tuolumne County, California | CA | 99.3321 | 85.2099 | 71.0242 |
| 23 | Okanogan County, Washington | WA | 99.3003 | 89.1858 | 86.2277 |
| 24 | El Paso County, Colorado | CO | 99.2684 | 94.0522 | 75.0954 |
| 25 | Josephine County, Oregon | OR | 99.2366 | 90.2354 | 95.1972 |
Important
Wildfire insurance coverage is becoming harder to obtain in high-risk counties. Some insurers have stopped writing new policies in California and other western states. If you live in a high wildfire-risk county, review your coverage annually and shop multiple carriers.
Methodology
Wildfire risk scores come from the FEMA National Risk Index (2020), measuring expected annual loss from wildfires at the county level. Scores are percentile ranks on a 0-100 scale. Counties are ranked by wildfire risk score in descending order.
Data source: FEMA National Risk Index (NRI). Risk scores use percentile-rank methodology on a 0-100 scale. All figures are relative rankings and do not represent absolute predictions of natural disaster occurrence.