Every year, wildfires in the U.S. displace families and strain insurance and emergency systems. Recent seasons illustrate the volatility: the U.S. recorded about 2.6 million acres burned in 2023, the lowest since 1998, and 2024 remained below the long‑term average nationally even as the Texas Panhandle’s Smokehouse Creek Fire grew to roughly 1,058,482 acres — the largest in Texas history — and the Southern Plains wildfires were counted by NOAA as a billion‑dollar disaster. Globally, natural catastrophe losses in 2024 were around USD 250 billion with about USD 100 billion insured, leaving an estimated 60% protection gap, according to Munich Re. Climate change is amplifying extreme fire weather, lengthening seasons, and expanding smoke impacts, especially in forested regions, per the IPCC and U.S. National Climate Assessment. California often dominates headlines, but significant risk spans the West, Southern Plains, and growing wildland–urban interface communities across the country.
Top States with High to Extreme Wildfire Risk
Prepare – What to do before a wildfire
Wildfires can evolve rapidly under extreme fire weather. Prepare early, account for multiple alerting channels, and plan for power and telecom disruptions. Climate trends point to longer seasons and more extreme fire weather days in many regions, so readiness is increasingly a year‑round effort (IPCC; NCA).
Prepare Your Family
Stay alert
Enroll in local alerts and enable national systems. Sign up for your community’s texts/emails (some communities use platforms like Nixle), and keep Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) turned on in phone settings. WEA uses FEMA’s IPAWS to deliver authenticated, geo‑targeted messages to cell phones with improved precision and longer messages, per the FCC. Add redundancy: a battery or hand‑crank NOAA Weather Radio works when cell networks or power are down, and some states provide unified alert platforms (e.g., Oregon’s OR‑Alert) that integrate WEA with local notifications.
Create an emergency plan
- Assemble an emergency kit: Include N95 or better masks for smoke, medications, pet supplies, copies of IDs and insurance, and backups of critical documents. Save digital copies to the cloud and a portable drive.
- Know your evacuation plan: Learn your neighborhood’s evacuation zones and standardized language (often Levels 1–3: Ready, Set, Go). “Know Your Zone” maps and WEA/IPAWS alerts guide actions; practice two or more routes in case primary roads are closed.
- Consider your loved ones: Pre‑arrange transportation and specialized supplies for pets and family members with access or functional needs. Share plans with caregivers and neighbors and register for local assistance programs where offered (USFA lessons learned emphasize multi‑channel coordination).
Prepare Your Home
Fireproof your home
Homes most often ignite from embers and heat, not walls of flame. Use research‑backed home‑hardening: create a 0–5 ft noncombustible “Zone 0” around the structure; install a Class A roof with metal gutter covers; upgrade to engineered ember‑resistant vents (tested to ASTM E2886/E2912) or at minimum 1/8‑inch mesh with enclosed eaves; use dual‑pane windows with at least one tempered pane; and avoid combustible fencing within 5 ft of the home (IBHS Wildfire Prepared Home; NIST; 2024 IWUIC).
- Use Class A fire‑rated roofing and ember‑resistant vents; enclose eaves and keep roofs/gutters clear of debris (IBHS)
- Create a noncombustible 0–5 ft perimeter; maintain defensible space (30–100 ft per local rules), remove ladder fuels, and use noncombustible fencing/gates within 5 ft (IWUIC)
- Maintain your landscaping and seal garage doors/weather‑strip gaps to block embers (NIST)
- Regularly clean your gutters and consider metal gutter guards designed to resist ember accumulation (IBHS)
- Invest in a fire‑rated safe for documents; avoid relying on exterior sprinkler systems alone, which can fail due to water/power constraints (focus on hardening and Zone 0) (IBHS)
Insure your home
Typical homeowners insurance policies cover fire and smoke, including wildfire, but coverage adequacy and placement matter in 2025. Global catastrophe losses stayed high in 2024 and the protection gap was about 60% (Munich Re). In stressed markets (e.g., parts of the West), some households use last‑resort or surplus‑lines options, such as the California FAIR Plan paired with a difference‑in‑conditions (wrap) policy, or non‑admitted carriers (NAIC). Mitigation aligned with IBHS Wildfire Prepared Home and California’s Safer from Wildfires can help eligibility and may earn discounts as regulators implement stability strategies (CA DOI Sustainable Insurance Strategy).
Tips to avoid some of the common gaps in wildfire insurance coverage:
- Check your dwelling coverage: Set Coverage A to true replacement cost using a detailed estimator; ask for +25% to +50% extended replacement cost or guaranteed replacement where available. Confirm valuation basis (Insurance Information Institute).
- Create a home inventory: Insurers increasingly accept photo/video inventories and CSV/PDF exports from apps. Tools like the free NAIC app support barcode/receipt capture and cloud backup (NAIC; III; PCMag). John Bodrozic, co‑founder of HomeZada, notes high‑value items often need scheduling beyond standard sublimits.
- Review your loss of use coverage: Loss of use (ALE) often needs up to 24 months after major wildfires due to permitting and contractor scarcity. Also check ordinance or law/code‑upgrade coverage (10%–25%+), debris removal and landscaping sublimits, other structures, and any separate wildfire deductible (FAIR/surplus‑lines may apply one). Consider post‑fire flood insurance due to debris‑flow risk (FEMA).
Protect – What to Do During a Wildfire
Your safety comes first. Use multiple, redundant alerting channels and act promptly on official instructions.
Protect Your Family
Monitor official alerts and local news. Keep WEA enabled on all phones and have a radio option for updates if cellular networks are degraded. WEA/IPAWS provide authenticated, geo‑targeted alerts; many jurisdictions use zone‑based evacuations with clear Levels 1–3 (“Ready‑Set‑Go”) language (IPAWS; FCC).
Understand the alerts
- Fire Weather Watch: Conditions favor fire spread; stay prepared and reduce ignition risks.
- Red Flag Warning: Dangerous fire weather is occurring or imminent; follow local guidance and be ready to evacuate. WEA/EAS alerts may direct specific zones to leave immediately (FCC).
Prepare to evacuate
- Make sure your emergency kit is easily accessible and vehicles are fueled/charged; include masks for smoke and a paper map of your zone/routes (NOAA Weather Radio is a power‑independent backup)
- Decide where you will go – the Red Cross offers an online tool to help you find the nearest disaster center; plan primary and alternate routes
Evacuate
If your area is evacuated, leave immediately on a “Go Now” order. Early departure reduces gridlock and keeps roads clear for responders. Do not return until officials confirm it’s safe. Following 2023 lessons, agencies emphasize multi‑channel notifications (WEA/EAS, sirens where present, radio cut‑ins, and door‑to‑door in critical zones) to reach residents quickly (USFA; HI‑EMA).
Protect Your Home
Prepare your property
- Turn off fuel supplies to your home such as natural gas, propane, or oil lines
- If possible, wet down the immediate 0–5 ft zone, deck edges, and nearby vegetation; do not rely on exterior sprinklers or stay to defend
- Connect hoses, remove combustibles within 5 ft (including doormats and wooden fence contact), close eaves/vents if designed to do so, and place ladders where firefighters can see them
- Move furniture toward the middle of your house, close all windows and doors, and seal garage doors to reduce ember intrusion
Recover – What to Do After a Wildfire
When authorities allow reentry, proceed cautiously. Treat ash and debris as hazardous until officials clear your area and follow public health guidance.
Check Your Home for Damage
Return with proper PPE (N95 or better, gloves, eye protection). Inspect your home with power off, watch for hot spots, and avoid disturbing ash. Follow environmental health guidance from recent recoveries: agencies first remove hazardous household waste, then coordinate debris/ash removal and soil testing before rebuilding; homeowners should monitor official portals and avoid duplicating work (EPA; USACE; Hawaii DOH).
Only use what is safe
- Don’t use tap water until officials confirm it is safe; private wells and premise plumbing can be impacted after fires — test before use
- Throw away any food exposed to heat, smoke, or ash; use HEPA vacuums and high‑MERV HVAC filters during cleanup and consider IAQ assessment for heavy smoke intrusion
- Confirm propane or oil systems are safe; stabilize slopes and drainage to reduce post‑fire flood/debris flow risks and consider separate flood insurance (FEMA)
How to file a wildfire homeowners claim
If you do find damage that will require you to file an insurance claim:
- Start the process quickly once safe; many carriers accept digital photo/video documentation and virtual inspections, which can speed claims (J.D. Power)
- Keep a list of damages (with pictures) and a record of communication; export inventories from apps (CSV/PDF) to match insurer templates (NAIC; III)
- Save receipts for out‑of‑pocket costs (temporary lodging, food, cleanup supplies); coordinate with any government debris programs to understand how participation interacts with your policy’s debris removal limits (USACE)
If you can’t go home
Wildfires can devastate neighborhoods, forcing extended displacement. The type of coverage included in your homeowners insurance that will help to cover this extra cost is ALE or additional living expenses. If you need to use this coverage, confirm the dollar and time limits (many rebuilds require up to 24 months), communicate frequently with your insurer, and save all receipts for reimbursement. In some markets you may be covered under a FAIR Plan plus a wrap policy; review how the two policies coordinate on ALE, debris removal, code upgrades, and any wildfire‑specific deductible (California FAIR Plan; NAIC).
