California Wildfire Risk Map
California faces the nation's most severe wildfire and insurance environment — from CAL FIRE Fire Hazard Severity Zones to a statewide non-renewal crisis pushing homeowners onto the FAIR Plan.
Reviewed by Tom Hunt, Wildfire Risk Expert
Check any California address — free
Fire locations come from NIFC — they update about once a day and are not real-time. In an emergency, always follow the official orders from your local authorities. Basemap © Mapbox © OpenStreetMap.
California live wildfire map
Active wildfires across California — perimeters and incident flames straight from NIFC, updated automatically. Tap any city or county marker to open its detailed fire risk report, or enter your exact address for a free street-level risk score.
See the live California active fire map →When is fire season in California?
California's fire season runs roughly May through November and peaks late summer into fall, when fuels are at their driest. Southern California's most destructive fires arrive with autumn and winter Santa Ana winds, while the Sierra and north state peak July-October.
See California's major wildfires →How California wildfire risk is rated: FEMA's National Risk Index
The federal benchmark for California is FEMA's National Risk Index (NRI), which scores wildfire risk for every U.S. county and Census tract. Each place gets one of five relative ratings — Very Low, Relatively Low, Relatively Moderate, Relatively High, or Very High — describing its risk compared with all other places at the same level nationwide.
A community's wildfire rating combines three things: how much fire damage is expected each year (Expected Annual Loss), how vulnerable the population is (Social Vulnerability), and how well it can recover (Community Resilience). For wildfire specifically, FEMA weighs a community’s exposure, fire frequency, and historic loss ratio. Wildfire is one of 18 natural hazards the NRI tracks.
Source: FEMA National Risk Index — Wildfire ↗. A county or tract rating is a starting point — your individual home's score depends on its exact location, terrain, and construction.
California Fire Hazard Severity Zones (FHSZ), explained
CAL FIRE's Office of the State Fire Marshal maps every California parcel into a Fire Hazard Severity Zone. There are three tiers — Moderate, High, and Very High — set by vegetation, climate, topography, fire history, predicted flame length, and blowing embers.
Moderate
Lowest mapped hazard tier — fire is possible but conditions are less severe.
High
Elevated hazard from terrain, fuels, and fire weather over a 30–50 year horizon.
Very High
Most severe tier — high flame lengths, heavy ember production, and fast fire behavior.
Two terms matter: hazard describes the physical likelihood and expected fire behavior over a 30–50 year period without counting mitigation, while risk reflects the damage a fire could do after accounting for defensible space, home hardening, and fuel reduction. Zones cover both State Responsibility Areas (SRA), where the state leads fire protection, and Local Responsibility Areas (LRA) in cities and suburbs. Senate Bill 63 (2021) now requires Moderate and High zones to be mapped in LRA, not just Very High — expanding California's hazard oversight.
Source: CAL FIRE OSFM — Fire Hazard Severity Zones ↗. FHSZ is a hazard map, not a parcel risk score — your address score also reflects mitigation you've done.
California cities
California counties
California ZIP codes
High-fire-risk ZIP codes with hazard, recorded fire history, and federal Risk-to-Homes data.
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California wildfire risk — frequently asked
How high is wildfire risk in California?
California faces the nation's most severe wildfire and insurance environment — from CAL FIRE Fire Hazard Severity Zones to a statewide non-renewal crisis pushing homeowners onto the FAIR Plan. Check your exact CA address for a free 0–100 wildfire risk score.
When is wildfire season in California?
California's fire season runs roughly May through November and peaks late summer into fall, when fuels are at their driest. Southern California's most destructive fires arrive with autumn and winter Santa Ana winds, while the Sierra and north state peak July-October.
Which California counties have the highest wildfire risk?
California counties with detailed wildfire risk profiles include Los Angeles County, San Diego County, Riverside County, San Bernardino County, Orange County. Open any county for its hazard rating, recorded fire history, and federal Risk-to-Homes data.
How does FEMA rate wildfire risk in California?
FEMA's National Risk Index scores wildfire risk for every U.S. county and Census tract and assigns one of five relative ratings — Very Low, Relatively Low, Relatively Moderate, Relatively High, or Very High. A California community's wildfire rating reflects its expected annual loss, social vulnerability, and community resilience, weighing fire exposure, frequency, and historic loss ratio. Source: FEMA National Risk Index (hazards.fema.gov/nri/wildfire).
What are California Fire Hazard Severity Zones (FHSZ)?
CAL FIRE's Office of the State Fire Marshal maps California parcels into three Fire Hazard Severity Zones — Moderate, High, and Very High — based on vegetation, climate, topography, fire history, predicted flame length, and blowing embers. "Hazard" describes expected fire behavior over a 30–50 year period without counting mitigation, while "risk" reflects damage after defensible space and home hardening. Senate Bill 63 (2021) requires Moderate and High zones to be mapped in Local Responsibility Areas, not just Very High. Source: CAL FIRE OSFM (osfm.fire.ca.gov).
Is fire insurance hard to get in California?
In high-risk California areas, wildfire hazard drives higher premiums and non-renewals. See the California fire insurance guide for premium impact and how to find coverage.
How do I check my address's wildfire risk in California?
Enter your exact California street address on FireRisk.ai for a free street-level wildfire risk score, the nearest recorded fires, defensible-space zones, and home-insurance impact.