Over half of US properties face at least some wildfire risk

Image: First Street Foundation

More than half of all homes in the contiguous 48 states face at least some wildfire risk in the next few decades, according to a first-of-its-kind report published today by the nonprofit research organization First Street Foundation.

First Street gave each address in the continental US a rating between one to 10, with one representing close to no risk and 10 representing a 36 percent or more likelihood that a property could be caught up in a wildfire sometime during the next three decades. More than 20 million properties in the US are at risk of wildfire. There is a 6 percent chance of a fire in those homes over a 30-year period.

It is worth taking seriously a 1 percent chance of being in a wildfire. The federal government considers an area with a 1 percent chance of flooding in a year to be a Special Flood Hazard Area. According to The New York Times, there hasn't been comprehensive property-level data on wildfire risk until now.

You can use First Street's online search tool to see the organization's fire risk rating for that property. The information will be incorporated into the website.

First Street built a peer-reviewed model using government data to assess each property's risk. It was able to see which properties might be threatened by 100 million wildfires.

According to The Washington Post, one in six Americans now live in a place with a significant wildfire risk.

Climate change has made the Western US hotter and drier. The past century of fire suppression has made fires more devastating since suppression tactics have allowed dry vegetation to build up to dangerous levels instead of allowing them to burn off in smaller, sporadic blazes. On top of that, residents have moved deeper into vulnerable locations where urban development meets fire-prone ecosystems, especially in states with soaring housing prices like California. Between 2012 and 2016 the costs associated with wildfires went from $8.5 billion to $79.8 billion.

Image: First Street Foundation

The Washington Post and First Street warn that climate change will make things riskier. About one in five Americans will live in areas with significant risk in 30 years.