Western States Top Wildfire Risk Scores in New Analysis

California, Oregon, Colorado, Washington and Arizona are the states most at risk for wildfires, earning an “F” rating, according to a new analysis by Guidewire detailing wildfire risk in the U.S. at local, state, and national levels.

Guidewire’s HazardHub data and risk scores for insurers uses more than 1,000 data points and HazardHub risk scores for climate risks and extreme weather.

Texas has averaged 217.3 significant wildfires per year for the past decade compared with California’s average of 203 wildfires annually. Texas experiences more wildfires, but they are spread across more rural land, meaning fewer homes are at risk than in California.

The top states by the number of homes at high risk of wildfire (rated as an “F” for wildfire risk) are:

California: 1.03 million homes
Oregon: 100k homes
Colorado: 64.5k homes
Washington: 61.8k homes
Arizona: 61.7k homes

HazardHub uses granular geographical data, updated vegetation data, proximity to fire hydrants and fire stations, historical wildfire data, and environmental factors to assess wildfire risk. High temperatures, low humidity, and seasonal winds exacerbate wildfire risk, notably in California and Texas. Western states’ mountainous, rugged terrain and vegetation such as forests, shrublands, and grasslands can also promote the spread of wildfires, according to the report.

Guidewire reports that the 10% of homes rated as “F” for wildfire risk suffer 98% of property damage caused by wildfires. Homes in “F” rated areas are roughly 40 times more likely to suffer damage compared with homes in other parts of the state.

The analysis found that home-preparation efforts can lower the risk of wildfire damage by between 20% and 70%, depending on the level of preparation undertaken.

Topics Catastrophe Natural Disasters Wildfire

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