Illinois Wildfire Risk Map
Illinois wildfire activity is dominated by spring and fall grassland and agricultural fires across the prairie, with brush fires along the rivers. For most residents the larger seasonal hazard is drifting wildfire smoke and poor air-quality days.
Reviewed by Tom Hunt, Wildfire Risk Expert
Check any Illinois 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.
Illinois live wildfire map
Active wildfires across Illinois — 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 Illinois active fire map →How Illinois wildfire risk is rated: FEMA's National Risk Index
The federal benchmark for Illinois 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.
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Illinois wildfire risk — frequently asked
How high is wildfire risk in Illinois?
Illinois wildfire activity is dominated by spring and fall grassland and agricultural fires across the prairie, with brush fires along the rivers. For most residents the larger seasonal hazard is drifting wildfire smoke and poor air-quality days. Check your exact IL address for a free 0–100 wildfire risk score.
How does FEMA rate wildfire risk in Illinois?
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 Illinois 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).
Is fire insurance hard to get in Illinois?
In high-risk Illinois areas, wildfire hazard drives higher premiums and non-renewals. See the Illinois fire insurance guide for premium impact and how to find coverage.
How do I check my address's wildfire risk in Illinois?
Enter your exact Illinois street address on FireRisk.ai for a free street-level wildfire risk score, the nearest recorded fires, defensible-space zones, and home-insurance impact.