States like California in the U.S. see ash falling like rain annually due to wildfires. Alaska, known for its abundant wildlife had to close Denali National Park in Anchorage while crews fought a wildfire over the weekend. Residents of other states where the risk of wildfires is “very low” would be shocked to experience the ash coating on their vehicles if they’re in the path of a wildfire.
These weather-related events are brutal and unforgiving. FEMA has put together a Wildfire Risk Rating, which informs the general public, the government, and private businesses of the natural hazard risk associated with the area. With this information, the government can develop new standards, businesses can set up hazard mitigation plans, and homeowners and renters can put together their own emergency plans to keep their families, friends, and pets safe.
When calculating the expected annual loss of a wildfire, several factors come into play. The first is exposure, which refers to the value of buildings and the population. The second is the annualized frequency, which identifies how often a wildfire might occur per year. The third and last factor is the historic loss ratio, which is an estimation of lost value.
Together, these three factors inform the expected annual loss of wildfires each year. This same formula is used for other natural hazards (though the calculations are made independently). Wildfires occur in different environments, including prairies, shrub lands, grasslands, and forests. They can leave extensive damage in their wake—not just to wildlife but to the neighborhoods locals call home. ( Also Read: This Is the Coastal City With the Greatest Risk of Flooding )
Methodology
To determine the cities with the highest wildfire risk, 24/7 Tempo reviewed data on natural hazard risk for U.S. census tracts from the March 2023 FEMA National Risk Index dataset. Cities were ranked based on the average wildfire risk index score for all census tracts within their borders. Data were aggregated from the census tract level to the city level using spatial boundary definitions from the U.S. Census Bureau’s TIGER/Line program . Supplemental data on the total value of all owner-occupied homes and population are from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey . Only places with at least 25,000 residents were considered.
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- FEMA wildfire risk index score: 92.4/100
- Total value of owner-occupied homes: $10.3 billion
- Population change, 2017 to 2022: -2.5%
- Total population: 68,029
Source: Jesse Kunerth / Shutterstock.com
- FEMA wildfire risk index score: 92.5/100
- Total value of owner-occupied homes: $8.1 billion
- Population change, 2017 to 2022: +12.7%
- Total population: 121,513
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- FEMA wildfire risk index score: 92.6/100
- Total value of owner-occupied homes: $3.7 billion
- Population change, 2017 to 2022: +34.3%
- Total population: 43,266
Source: Rex_Wholster / iStock via Getty Images
- FEMA wildfire risk index score: 92.6/100
- Total value of owner-occupied homes: $3.2 billion
- Population change, 2017 to 2022: +20.0%
- Total population: 34,191
Source: colin_kai / Shutterstock.com
- FEMA wildfire risk index score: 92.6/100
- Total value of owner-occupied homes: $7.3 billion
- Population change, 2017 to 2022: NA
- Total population: 34,346
Source: emholk / iStock via Getty Images
- FEMA wildfire risk index score: 92.7/100
- Total value of owner-occupied homes: $2.6 billion
- Population change, 2017 to 2022: +8.4%
- Total population: 25,936
Source: Robert Young / iStock via Getty Images
- FEMA wildfire risk index score: 92.7/100
- Total value of owner-occupied homes: $12.3 billion
- Population change, 2017 to 2022: +29.3%
- Total population: 74,065
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- FEMA wildfire risk index score: 92.7/100
- Total value of owner-occupied homes: $4.1 billion
- Population change, 2017 to 2022: +22.2%
- Total population: 54,513
Source: John Coletti / The Image Bank via Getty Images
- FEMA wildfire risk index score: 92.7/100
- Total value of owner-occupied homes: $0.6 million
- Population change, 2017 to 2022: +8.0%
- Total population: 27,753
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- FEMA wildfire risk index score: 92.9/100
- Total value of owner-occupied homes: $4.5 billion
- Population change, 2017 to 2022: +14.0%
- Total population: 46,518
Source: MattGush / iStock via Getty Images
- FEMA wildfire risk index score: 93.1/100
- Total value of owner-occupied homes: $5.0 billion
- Population change, 2017 to 2022: +5.2%
- Total population: 78,881
Source: Donna Brooks / iStock via Getty Images
- FEMA wildfire risk index score: 93.2/100
- Total value of owner-occupied homes: $4.7 billion
- Population change, 2017 to 2022: +71.1%
- Total population: 29,375
Source: BOB WESTON / iStock via Getty Images
- FEMA wildfire risk index score: 93.6/100
- Total value of owner-occupied homes: $0.8 million
- Population change, 2017 to 2022: -8.2%
- Total population: 25,949
Source: SevenMaps / Shutterstock.com
- FEMA wildfire risk index score: 93.6/100
- Total value of owner-occupied homes: $4.3 billion
- Population change, 2017 to 2022: +4.3%
- Total population: 69,311
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- FEMA wildfire risk index score: 93.8/100
- Total value of owner-occupied homes: $1.8 billion
- Population change, 2017 to 2022: +7.3%
- Total population: 30,254
Source: Bill_Dally / iStock via Getty Images
- FEMA wildfire risk index score: 94.0/100
- Total value of owner-occupied homes: $6.1 billion
- Population change, 2017 to 2022: +7.4%
- Total population: 58,249
Source: sanfel / iStock via Getty Images
- FEMA wildfire risk index score: 94.0/100
- Total value of owner-occupied homes: $6.6 billion
- Population change, 2017 to 2022: +7.2%
- Total population: 99,878
Source: sanfel / iStock via Getty Images
- FEMA wildfire risk index score: 94.1/100
- Total value of owner-occupied homes: $6.9 billion
- Population change, 2017 to 2022: +5.1%
- Total population: 75,603
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- FEMA wildfire risk index score: 94.3/100
- Total value of owner-occupied homes: $7.5 billion
- Population change, 2017 to 2022: +29.2%
- Total population: 30,635
Source: Cavan Images / iStock via Getty Images
- FEMA wildfire risk index score: 94.4/100
- Total value of owner-occupied homes: $8.7 billion
- Population change, 2017 to 2022: +53.1%
- Total population: 95,042
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- FEMA wildfire risk index score: 94.5/100
- Total value of owner-occupied homes: $3.8 billion
- Population change, 2017 to 2022: +15.2%
- Total population: 54,077
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- FEMA wildfire risk index score: 94.6/100
- Total value of owner-occupied homes: $4.6 billion
- Population change, 2017 to 2022: +21.3%
- Total population: 30,449
Source: Erik Pronske Photography / Moment via Getty Images
- FEMA wildfire risk index score: 95.0/100
- Total value of owner-occupied homes: $2.2 billion
- Population change, 2017 to 2022: +11.6%
- Total population: 32,168
Source: Speedway1 / iStock via Getty Images
- FEMA wildfire risk index score: 95.0/100
- Total value of owner-occupied homes: $2.1 billion
- Population change, 2017 to 2022: +18.5%
- Total population: 35,812
Source: Althom / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
- FEMA wildfire risk index score: 95.1/100
- Total value of owner-occupied homes: $4.8 billion
- Population change, 2017 to 2022: +12.0%
- Total population: 47,015
Source: Jacob Boomsma / iStock via Getty Images
- FEMA wildfire risk index score: 95.1/100
- Total value of owner-occupied homes: $7.6 billion
- Population change, 2017 to 2022: +9.7%
- Total population: 47,053
Source: Jeremy Christensen / iStock via Getty Images
- FEMA wildfire risk index score: 95.1/100
- Total value of owner-occupied homes: $7.1 billion
- Population change, 2017 to 2022: +73.0%
- Total population: 55,301
Source: Donald Sykes / 500px / 500px via Getty Images
- FEMA wildfire risk index score: 95.2/100
- Total value of owner-occupied homes: $1.4 billion
- Population change, 2017 to 2022: +26.7%
- Total population: 28,922
Source: Solidago / Getty Images
- FEMA wildfire risk index score: 95.6/100
- Total value of owner-occupied homes: $5.8 billion
- Population change, 2017 to 2022: +2.4%
- Total population: 54,428
Source: aileen kang / 500px / 500px via Getty Images
- FEMA wildfire risk index score: 95.6/100
- Total value of owner-occupied homes: $3.2 billion
- Population change, 2017 to 2022: +51.0%
- Total population: 56,537
Source: Steve Proehl / The Image Bank via Getty Images
- FEMA wildfire risk index score: 95.8/100
- Total value of owner-occupied homes: $1.6 billion
- Population change, 2017 to 2022: +15.5%
- Total population: 37,960
Source: Rex_Wholster / iStock via Getty Images
- FEMA wildfire risk index score: 96.0/100
- Total value of owner-occupied homes: $1.4 billion
- Population change, 2017 to 2022: +19.9%
- Total population: 30,904
Source: SevenMaps / Shutterstock.com
- FEMA wildfire risk index score: 96.2/100
- Total value of owner-occupied homes: $3.0 billion
- Population change, 2017 to 2022: +42.3%
- Total population: 25,179
Source: Natalia Leen / iStock via Getty Images
- FEMA wildfire risk index score: 96.3/100
- Total value of owner-occupied homes: $6.8 billion
- Population change, 2017 to 2022: +12.5%
- Total population: 69,993
Source: Tamah Donaldson / iStock via Getty Images
- FEMA wildfire risk index score: 96.4/100
- Total value of owner-occupied homes: $6.4 billion
- Population change, 2017 to 2022: +25.9%
- Total population: 52,542
Source: DenisTangneyJr / iStock via Getty Images
- FEMA wildfire risk index score: 96.5/100
- Total value of owner-occupied homes: $7.6 billion
- Population change, 2017 to 2022: +11.1%
- Total population: 46,054
Source: csfotoimages / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
- FEMA wildfire risk index score: 96.6/100
- Total value of owner-occupied homes: $2.7 billion
- Population change, 2017 to 2022: +3.0%
- Total population: 34,638
Source: Timothy S. Allen / iStock via Getty Images
- FEMA wildfire risk index score: 97.0/100
- Total value of owner-occupied homes: $6.2 billion
- Population change, 2017 to 2022: +31.5%
- Total population: 41,239
Source: Getty Images / Getty Images News via Getty Images
- FEMA wildfire risk index score: 97.4/100
- Total value of owner-occupied homes: $13.6 billion
- Population change, 2017 to 2022: +8.8%
- Total population: 49,082
Source: Simply Beautiful Photos / iStock via Getty Images
- FEMA wildfire risk index score: 97.7/100
- Total value of owner-occupied homes: $3.2 billion
- Population change, 2017 to 2022: +21.2%
- Total population: 34,238
Source: Gregory Clifford / iStock via Getty Images
- FEMA wildfire risk index score: 97.9/100
- Total value of owner-occupied homes: $2.5 billion
- Population change, 2017 to 2022: +14.5%
- Total population: 33,052
Source: Ljexter / Shutterstock.com
- FEMA wildfire risk index score: 98.4/100
- Total value of owner-occupied homes: $11.1 billion
- Population change, 2017 to 2022: +20.2%
- Total population: 96,174
Source: HadelProductions / iStock via Getty Images
- FEMA wildfire risk index score: 98.6/100
- Total value of owner-occupied homes: $5.1 billion
- Population change, 2017 to 2022: +11.1%
- Total population: 28,227
Source: SevenMaps / Shutterstock.com
- FEMA wildfire risk index score: 98.8/100
- Total value of owner-occupied homes: $4.0 billion
- Population change, 2017 to 2022: +3.7%
- Total population: 36,822
Source: Jason Finn / iStock via Getty Images
- FEMA wildfire risk index score: 98.8/100
- Total value of owner-occupied homes: $4.9 billion
- Population change, 2017 to 2022: +8.3%
- Total population: 33,710
Source: ZargonDesign / E+ via Getty Images
- FEMA wildfire risk index score: 99.0/100
- Total value of owner-occupied homes: $6.0 billion
- Population change, 2017 to 2022: +131.0%
- Total population: 58,595
Phone 009 (
Public Domain ) by
Staplegunther - FEMA wildfire risk index score: 99.3/100
- Total value of owner-occupied homes: $4.4 billion
- Population change, 2017 to 2022: +66.0%
- Total population: 46,109
Source: Aaron Echols / iStock via Getty Images
- FEMA wildfire risk index score: 99.5/100
- Total value of owner-occupied homes: $5.5 billion
- Population change, 2017 to 2022: +22.7%
- Total population: 53,544
Source: Raymond Shobe / Wikimedia Commons
- FEMA wildfire risk index score: 99.5/100
- Total value of owner-occupied homes: $3.6 billion
- Population change, 2017 to 2022: +20.3%
- Total population: 29,161
Source: BZK Photos / Shutterstock.com
- FEMA wildfire risk index score: 99.6/100
- Total value of owner-occupied homes: $2.3 billion
- Population change, 2017 to 2022: -2.9%
- Total population: 29,929
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