Wisconsin Wildfire Risk Map
Wisconsin's wildfire hazard lies in the central sand plains and northern pine barrens, where spring dryness before green-up drives grass and forest fires. The 1871 Peshtigo Fire remains the deadliest wildfire in U.S. history.
Reviewed by Tom Hunt, Wildfire Risk Expert
Check any Wisconsin 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.
Wisconsin live wildfire map
Active wildfires across Wisconsin — 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 Wisconsin active fire map →How Wisconsin wildfire risk is rated: FEMA's National Risk Index
The federal benchmark for Wisconsin 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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Wisconsin wildfire risk — frequently asked
How high is wildfire risk in Wisconsin?
Wisconsin's wildfire hazard lies in the central sand plains and northern pine barrens, where spring dryness before green-up drives grass and forest fires. The 1871 Peshtigo Fire remains the deadliest wildfire in U.S. history. Check your exact WI address for a free 0–100 wildfire risk score.
How does FEMA rate wildfire risk in Wisconsin?
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 Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin?
In high-risk Wisconsin areas, wildfire hazard drives higher premiums and non-renewals. See the Wisconsin fire insurance guide for premium impact and how to find coverage.
How do I check my address's wildfire risk in Wisconsin?
Enter your exact Wisconsin street address on FireRisk.ai for a free street-level wildfire risk score, the nearest recorded fires, defensible-space zones, and home-insurance impact.