Wildfire Risk Assessment
How vulnerable is your property to wildfire? This free assessment evaluates five critical risk areas — environment, home construction, defensible space, home hardening, and emergency readiness — based on CAL FIRE, NFPA 1144, and IBHS Wildfire Prepared Home research standards. You will receive a risk level, category breakdown, and a ranked action plan. For general home fire safety, also take our Home Fire Safety Score.
15 questionsUnder 4 minutes5 risk levels100% free
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AllFirefighter.com
Wildfire Risk Assessment
Answer 15 questions about your property, construction, and preparedness to get your wildfire risk level, category breakdown, and a ranked priority action plan.
Environment
Region, proximity, terrain
Home construction
Roof, walls, deck materials
Defensible space
Zone 1, Zone 2, combustibles
Hardening & readiness
Vents, gutters, evacuation
15
Questions
~4 min
Duration
5
Risk levels
Based on CAL FIRE, NFPA 1144, IBHS Wildfire Prepared Home & USFS WUI research
Your wildfire risk level
Score by category
Priority actions
Ranked by impact on your risk level
Educational assessment based on CAL FIRE, NFPA 1144, and IBHS research. Not a substitute for a professional Wildfire Hazard Assessment or local fire department inspection.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is defensible space and how much do I need around my home?
Defensible space is the buffer of cleared and maintained vegetation between a home and surrounding wildland fuels. CAL FIRE and NFPA 1144 define two zones. Zone 1 (0 to 30 feet) requires removing all dead plants, dry leaves, and woodpiles, keeping grass mowed under 4 inches, and pruning tree limbs to a height of 10 feet from the ground. Zone 2 (30 to 100 feet) requires reducing fuel density by spacing tree crowns at least 10 feet apart, removing ladder fuels (vegetation that allows fire to climb from the ground to tree canopy), and mowing grass. On steep slopes above 30 percent grade, Zone 1 should be extended to 100 feet.
What is the Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) and am I in one?
The Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) is the zone where human development meets or intermingles with undeveloped wildland vegetation. Approximately 70,000 communities and 46 million homes in the United States are located in WUI areas. Homes in the WUI face substantially higher wildfire risk than those in fully urban settings. To determine if your property is in a designated WUI area, contact your local fire department or visit the USDA Forest Service WUI mapping tool. Many states also maintain official Fire Hazard Severity Zone (FHSZ) maps.
What roofing materials provide the best wildfire protection?
Class A fire-rated roofing materials provide the highest level of protection. These include metal roofing (steel, aluminum, or copper), concrete or clay tile, asphalt composite shingles with a fiberglass mat, and slate. Class A materials have been tested to withstand severe fire exposure. Class B materials (some treated wood shakes) offer moderate protection. Untreated wood shake or shingle roofing is highly combustible and should be replaced. The roof is the most vulnerable part of a structure during a wildfire -- ember accumulation in roof areas causes up to 40 percent of home ignitions.
What is ember-resistant home hardening and where should I start?
Home hardening refers to making a structure more resistant to ignition from embers, radiant heat, and direct flame contact. Research from the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS) shows that 90 percent of homes lost in wildfires ignite from embers, not direct flame contact. The highest-priority hardening steps are: (1) installing 1/8-inch metal mesh screening over all vents including attic, soffit, eaves, and crawlspace vents; (2) replacing combustible roofing with Class A materials; (3) replacing bark mulch within 5 feet of the foundation with rock or gravel; and (4) replacing or enclosing attached wooden decks. Many of these improvements also qualify for homeowner's insurance discounts.
How should I create a wildfire evacuation plan?
A wildfire evacuation plan should include at least two evacuation routes from your home and neighborhood, an out-of-area contact who can relay information if local communication is disrupted, a designated meeting place for all household members, a packed go-bag with 72-hour supplies (water, food, medications, important documents, phone charger, cash, N95 masks, clothing, and pet supplies), and a list of what to do if you receive an evacuation warning versus an evacuation order. Practice the plan at least once a year, drive both evacuation routes, and know which route avoids canyons and terrain directly downwind of wildlands. Pre-identify pet-friendly evacuation shelters and hotels along your routes.
How far from my home should I store firewood and propane tanks?
Firewood should be stored at least 30 feet from all structures and away from any fencing or vegetation that could carry fire to the wood pile. Clear a 10-foot non-combustible zone around the wood pile itself. Propane tanks should be positioned uphill or to the side of structures (never downhill, where leaking gas pools) on a non-combustible surface with at least 10 feet of clearance from combustibles in all directions. Keep weeds and grass mowed around propane installations. During a wildfire evacuation, close the main propane valve before leaving.
What is the difference between a wildfire watch, warning, and evacuation order?
A Fire Weather Watch means conditions are favorable for extreme fire behavior within the next 24 to 72 hours -- time to review your evacuation plan and go-bag. A Red Flag Warning means critical fire weather conditions exist or are imminent, including high winds, low humidity, and dry fuels -- have your go-bag ready and be prepared to leave immediately. An Evacuation Warning (or Advisory) is an official notice that a wildfire threatens an area and residents should be prepared to leave on short notice. An Evacuation Order is a mandatory directive to leave immediately -- do not delay. Fatalities occur when people wait too long to evacuate.
How do I sign up for wildfire evacuation alerts?
The most important step is to register with your county or city emergency notification system -- search your county name plus 'emergency alerts' or 'Nixle' to find the registration page. These systems send phone calls, texts, and emails when evacuation warnings or orders are issued for your specific address. Additionally, ensure Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) are enabled on your phone (most phones have this on by default). Download the free FEMA app and the American Red Cross Emergency app. Follow your local fire department and emergency management agency on social media for real-time updates during incidents.
Does homeowner's insurance cover wildfire damage?
Standard homeowner's insurance policies generally cover structure and personal property loss from wildfire. However, in high-risk areas, many insurers have reduced coverage, raised premiums significantly, or non-renewed policies entirely. If you have been non-renewed, contact your state's Department of Insurance to learn about FAIR Plan coverage (the insurer of last resort in most high-risk states). Regardless of coverage, home hardening and defensible space improvements may qualify you for lower premiums and make your property more insurable. Document your home's contents with photos or video stored off-site or in the cloud.
How quickly can a wildfire spread, and how much time will I have to evacuate?
In dry, windy conditions, wildfires can spread at 1 to 1.5 miles per hour through light fuels and up to 6 to 8 miles per hour through heavy brush or timber under extreme conditions. Under Red Flag conditions with wind gusts exceeding 40 mph, spot fires from airborne embers have been documented a mile or more ahead of the main fire front. The Camp Fire (2018) and Marshall Fire (2021) both spread at rates that gave some residents less than 15 minutes to escape. This is why evacuation preparedness -- having a packed go-bag, knowing your routes, and leaving at the first Evacuation Warning -- is the single most important life safety action available to WUI residents.
About This Assessment
This wildfire risk assessment was developed by the AllFirefighter team using the latest defensible space standards, home hardening research, and WUI fire behavior data. The 100-point scoring system is structured around the five areas with the highest documented impact on structure survival during wildfire events. Questions are calibrated against criteria from the IBHS Wildfire Prepared Home designation program, CAL FIRE defensible space requirements, and NFPA 1144 ignition hazard evaluation methodology.
Sources & References
- CAL FIRE: Defensible Space Program (California Code of Regulations, Title 14)
- NFPA 1144: Standard for Reducing Structure Ignition Hazards from Wildland Fire (2023 edition)
- IBHS: Wildfire Prepared Home designation criteria (2024)
- USDA Forest Service: Wildland-Urban Interface Research
- Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS): Ember Storm research
- FEMA: National Risk Index — Wildfire Risk data
- Cohen, J.D. (2000): Preventing disaster — Home ignitability in the wildland-urban interface
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