--- title: "Wildfire Risk in California 2026 | Satelife" description: "California wildfire risk by county, fire history, and what every property owner should check in 2026. Run an address-level Satelife risk report in minutes." image: "https://satelife.ai/images/img_01.jpg" canonical: "https://satelife.ai/wildfire-risk/california/" --- [Home](/)›[Wildfire Risk](/wildfire-risk/)›California California · 2026 update # Wildfire risk in California: how to check your _property exposure_ in 2026 California's 2025 fire season destroyed more than 18,000 structures in the Palisades and Eaton fires alone. This page explains how wildfire risk is calculated across the state, which counties carry the highest exposure, and what every property owner should check before insurance renewal. [Get your California wildfire risk PDF + mitigation plan →](/#cta) [How it's calculated ↓](#how-its-calculated) ![Camp Fire 2018 Landsat satellite image — California wildfire smoke plume from Paradise, Butte County](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b1/Camp_Fire_oli_2018312_Landsat.jpg/1280px-Camp_Fire_oli_2018312_Landsat.jpg) Source: NASA Earth Observatory image by Joshua Stevens, Landsat 8 (Operational Land Imager), November 8, 2018 — Camp Fire, Butte County, California. Via [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Camp_Fire_oli_2018312_Landsat.jpg) (public domain). Coverage map ## California counties we have _analyzed_ Highlighted counties have a published, data-backed page built on real Satelife reports for an address and a community inside them. Select one to open it. Satelife runs address-level reports statewide — the highlight marks where we have published the research, not where we can score. Select a highlighted county to open its report page. Counties with a published page - [Butte County](/wildfire-risk/california/butte-county/) - [El Dorado County](/wildfire-risk/california/el-dorado-county/) - [Los Angeles County](/wildfire-risk/california/los-angeles-county/) - [Napa County](/wildfire-risk/california/napa-county/) - [Nevada County](/wildfire-risk/california/nevada-county/) - [Placer County](/wildfire-risk/california/placer-county/) - [San Diego County](/wildfire-risk/california/san-diego-county/) - [Santa Barbara County](/wildfire-risk/california/santa-barbara-county/) - [Sonoma County](/wildfire-risk/california/sonoma-county/) - [Ventura County](/wildfire-risk/california/ventura-county/) Regional coverage ## Explore wildfire risk by _California county_ [ ![Satellite locator map of Butte County, California, with the county boundary outlined and Chico, Oroville, Paradise, Magalia and the 2018 Camp Fire origin near Pulga marked](/images/wildfire-risk/butte-county/butte-county-locator.webp) ### Butte County Camp Fire legacy, the Ridge geography, Paradise case study ](/wildfire-risk/california/butte-county/)[ ![Satellite locator map of El Dorado County, California, with the county boundary outlined and Grizzly Flats, Pollock Pines, Placerville and the Caldor Fire origin point marked between Placerville and Lake Tahoe](/images/wildfire-risk/el-dorado-county/el-dorado-county-locator.webp) ### El Dorado County Caldor Fire legacy, ridge-canyon WUI, Grizzly Flats case study ](/wildfire-risk/california/el-dorado-county/)[ ![Satellite locator map of Los Angeles County, California, with the county boundary outlined and Malibu, Los Angeles, Altadena, Pacific Palisades, and the 2018 Woolsey Fire ignition point marked](/images/wildfire-risk/los-angeles-county/los-angeles-county-locator.webp) ### Los Angeles County Woolsey & Palisades Fire legacy, Santa Monica Mountains, Malibu case study ](/wildfire-risk/california/los-angeles-county/)[ ![Satellite locator map of Napa County, California, with the county boundary outlined and Calistoga, Deer Park, St. Helena, Napa, and the 2020 Glass Fire origin point marked](/images/wildfire-risk/napa-county/napa-county-locator.webp) ### Napa County Glass Fire legacy, wine-country WUI, Calistoga case study ](/wildfire-risk/california/napa-county/)[ ![Satellite locator map of Nevada County, California, with the county boundary outlined and Grass Valley, Nevada City, Alta Sierra and Truckee marked across the western foothills and the Sierra crest](/images/wildfire-risk/nevada-county/nevada-county-locator.webp) ### Nevada County Quiet fire record, full standing fuel load, Alta Sierra case study ](/wildfire-risk/california/nevada-county/)[ ![Satellite locator map of Placer County, California, with the county boundary outlined and Auburn, Colfax, and Foresthill marked near the 2022 Mosquito Fire origin point at Oxbow Reservoir](/images/wildfire-risk/placer-county/placer-county-locator.webp) ### Placer County Mosquito Fire legacy, Foresthill Divide geography, Foresthill case study ](/wildfire-risk/california/placer-county/)[ ![Satellite locator map of San Diego County, California, with the county boundary outlined and Ramona, San Diego Country Estates, Julian, Poway, Alpine and the City of San Diego marked](/images/wildfire-risk/san-diego-county/san-diego-county-locator.webp) ### San Diego County Cedar & Witch Fire legacy, Santa Ana exposure, Ramona case study ](/wildfire-risk/california/san-diego-county/)[ ![Satellite view of the Montecito foothills below the Santa Ynez Mountains in Santa Barbara County, California, the canyons that burned in the 2017 Thomas Fire and fed the 2018 debris flow](/images/wildfire-risk/santa-barbara-county/santa-barbara-county-locator.webp) ### Santa Barbara County Thomas Fire & Montecito debris-flow legacy, sundowner winds, Montecito case study ](/wildfire-risk/california/santa-barbara-county/)[ ![Satellite locator map of Sonoma County, California, with the county boundary outlined and Santa Rosa, Coffey Park, and the 2017 Tubbs Fire path marked](/images/wildfire-risk/sonoma-county/sonoma-county-locator.webp) ### Sonoma County Tubbs Fire legacy, wind-driven suburban WUI, Coffey Park case study ](/wildfire-risk/california/sonoma-county/)[ ![Satellite view of the Ojai Valley in Ventura County, California, with the town, surrounding orchards, and the foothills that burned in the 2017 Thomas Fire](/images/wildfire-risk/ventura-county/ventura-county-locator.webp) ### Ventura County Thomas Fire ignition, Ojai Valley geography, Ojai case study ](/wildfire-risk/california/ventura-county/) Local context ## California's wildfire reality in 2025–2026 The Palisades and Eaton fires (January 2025) destroyed more than 18,000 structures across Los Angeles County — the most destructive January fires in California history. They follow the 2018 Camp Fire (153,336 acres, Butte County, 85 fatalities) and the 2017 Tubbs Fire (Sonoma County, 5,636 structures). Statewide, acreage burned and structures lost trended sharply upward between 2017 and 2025, driven by drought cycles and Wildland-Urban Interface expansion. The peak risk window runs late May through November, with the most destructive events typically falling between August and October. The CAL FIRE Fire Hazard Severity Zone (FHSZ) framework classifies land as Moderate, High, or Very High — and is the basis for both building-code requirements and insurer underwriting decisions. Sources: CAL FIRE Incident Archive · USGS · NIFC annual reports. Terrain & vegetation ## Why some California properties burn and others don't Three vegetation types dominate California fire risk: chaparral (Southern California foothills), oak woodland (Central Coast and Sierra foothills), and mixed conifer (Sierra Nevada and Klamath ranges). Each has a different fuel-moisture cycle and flame length under fire weather. Terrain drives ignition probability and spread rate. South-facing slopes dry out faster, steep slopes accelerate fire run, and Wildland-Urban Interface boundaries — where structures meet wildland fuels — are where most structure loss happens. Add Santa Ana winds (Southern California) or Diablo winds (Bay Area), and the same terrain becomes a different risk profile within hours. Insurance ## What California wildfire risk means for your insurance California FAIR Plan policies surpassed 400,000 in 2024 — roughly 100% increase versus 2020, and approximately 20× the population the plan was designed for. State Farm non-renewed about 72,000 California policies in 2023; Allstate, Farmers, and AIG imposed similar restrictions. SB 1060 (in force 2025) requires carriers to offer premium discounts for verified mitigation, turning a property-level wildfire report from a discretionary purchase into documentation with direct financial consequences. For carrier-by-carrier rules, FAIR Plan coverage details, and the SB 1060 discount path, see California wildfire insurance. California's insurance crisis is no longer about whether your ZIP code is risky. It is about whether you can prove, at the property level, that yours is the mitigated house on the street. See also: [California wildfire insurance](/insurance/fire-risk/california/). Sources: California Department of Insurance (CDI) Annual Reports · SB 1060 text. Real estate ## How wildfire risk affects California property value California Civil Code §1103 already requires sellers to disclose Natural Hazard zones at the point of sale. As insurance availability tightens, fire-zone status increasingly becomes a closing-risk variable rather than a paperwork item — buyers who cannot bind insurance cannot close. Investors evaluating California fire-zone properties face three real options: walk away, negotiate price for the insurance gap and mitigation cost, or buy and mitigate to qualify for the SB 1060 rebate path. The third path — when documented through a Satelife report — converts mitigation cost into a measurable insurance benefit. See also: [California real estate wildfire risk](/real-estate/fire-risk/california/). ### What a buyer, seller, or lender sees in the report The same composite score (0–100) and eight-layer breakdown — hazard zone, AI vision read of the parcel, terrain, fire weather, vegetation/fuel, road access, fire history, and fire-spread simulation — becomes the page a listing agent attaches to a disclosure packet, or a buyer hands their insurance broker before writing an offer contingent on coverage. ![Excerpt from a Satelife wildfire risk report: composite score and per-layer breakdown showing Hazard, Vision, Terrain, USFS WRC, Fire Weather, Vegetation, Road access, Fire history and Fire-spread simulation, each scored 0–100 and weighted into one composite](/images/wildfire-risk/el-dorado-county/report-per-layer.webp) **Report excerpt** — per-layer contributions from a real Satelife Wildfire Risk Report (El Dorado County, CA, July 2026). [Get your California property report →](/#cta) Risk reduction ## What California homeowners should do this season CAL FIRE's defensible-space framework defines three zones: Zone 0 (0–5 ft, ember-resistant zone, no combustibles), Zone 1 (5–30 ft, lean-clean-green), and Zone 2 (30–100 ft, reduced fuel zone). Each zone has specific maintenance requirements; documented compliance is what underwriters and the SB 1060 mitigation discount process accept as evidence. Annual review is the rule, not the exception. Vegetation grows back, weather changes, and home-hardening choices (vents, eaves, roofing) interact with the surrounding fuel bed. A property that passed defensible-space inspection in 2024 is not necessarily compliant in 2026. Where to go next ## California wildfire risk _by topic_ [Texas wildfire risk The no-hazard-map state: three fuel regimes, three counties](/wildfire-risk/texas/) [California wildfire insurance FAIR Plan, non-renewals, SB 1060](/insurance/fire-risk/california/) [Wildfire risk for California real estate Buyer due diligence and disclosure](/real-estate/fire-risk/california/) [How Satelife calculates wildfire risk Data sources, score composition](/wildfire-risk/methodology/) [Run a wildfire risk report PDF + score + mitigation plan](/#cta) FAQ ## Frequently asked questions about _California wildfire risk_ Is my house in a fire zone in California? Start with the CAL FIRE Fire Hazard Severity Zone (FHSZ) viewer using your address. The viewer returns Moderate, High, or Very High classifications. For a property-level risk score that incorporates terrain, vegetation, fire history, and home-hardening signals — not just the FHSZ band — run a Satelife address-level report. How is California wildfire risk calculated? Satelife combines CAL FIRE FHSZ designations, USGS terrain and vegetation layers, NOAA fire-weather data, and First Street exposure modeling into a single property-level risk score. The full data-source list and weighting logic are documented on the methodology page. Which California counties have the highest wildfire risk in 2026? Los Angeles, San Diego, Sonoma, Napa, El Dorado, and Placer carry the largest combination of high-VHFHSZ acreage, structure density at the WUI, and post-2017 loss totals. Does FAIR Plan cover my California home? California FAIR Plan is the insurer of last resort and is available statewide. It covers basic fire perils with specific policy limits and surcharges, and is generally more expensive than admitted-market coverage. Can I lower my California wildfire insurance premium? Yes — under SB 1060, in force since 2025, California carriers must offer premium discounts for verified wildfire mitigation. A Satelife mitigation report documents which actions you completed and is structured to be accepted in the carrier discount workflow. ## Get your _California wildfire risk report_ PDF + property-level risk score + mitigation action plan you can hand to your insurance broker. Address-level, not ZIP-level. [Start with your address →](/#cta) [![PRR](/images/prr.png)](/ficha-de-website-voucher-satelife.pdf) © 2024–2026 Satelife, Lda. All rights reserved. Satelife reports are for informational purposes only and do not constitute insurance, financial, or legal advice.