As many individuals evacuated due to the devastating fires in Los Angeles County this month, you might be curious about the wildfire danger in your own region.

Wildfires are typically linked to western states, especially with huge fires seen in California during 2020 and in Oregon last year. However, a closer look at FEMA data indicates that substantial fire risks exist in some surprising locations.

YSL News has examined data from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to assess how many individuals reside in high-risk zones and pinpoint where these communities are located.

FEMA’s index evaluates wildfire risk by estimating the average annual fire losses for a community, categorizing areas with ratings ranging from very low to very high. Areas rated “very high” indicate a significantly greater risk compared to other regions nationwide.

The findings reveal that roughly 3.3 million Americans live in regions classified as having a “very high” wildfire risk, with an additional 14.8 million in “relatively high” risk areas.

A large portion of the high-risk population resides in urban centers. California’s densely populated regions heavily contribute to these high-risk designations, but the threat extends beyond the state.

The three metropolitan areas with the highest number of residents in “very high” wildfire risk zones are all located in California: Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, and Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim. Collectively, these cities account for about 1.2 million residents living in “very high” risk areas.

Additionally, parts of metropolitan regions in Utah, Florida, Idaho, Arizona, Colorado, and Nevada also fall into the very high-risk category. For instance, around 58% of St. George, Utah’s population of 180,000 resides in a “very high” wildfire risk zone.

FEMA’s maps also reveal high-risk locations in states that are not commonly associated with wildfires, such as Florida, West Virginia, and New Jersey.

Two significant factors over the past few decades have heightened this threat.

In many regions, temperatures have risen and conditions have become drier, leading to quick “flash droughts” that desiccate landscapes. Furthermore, more people desire to live near wildlands that are naturally prone to burning.

Despite increasing risks, Americans are moving into areas with “very high” wildfire threats in large numbers. The population growth in metropolitan areas at high wildfire risk surged by about 70% from 1990 to 2020, while the overall population growth in the average American metropolitan area was about 40%.

A recent government report indicated a steep rise in homeowners’ insurance premiums, attributing the challenge to climate change, which complicates matters for both homeowners and insurers. Research indicates that climate change caused by human activity has already led to more frequent and larger wildfires—a trend anticipated to persist. According to FEMA’s data, projections show that no county is expected to reduce its wildfire risk by the mid to late century.