---
title: "Wildfire Risk in Contra Costa County, CA 2026 | Satelife"
description: "Wildfire risk in Contra Costa County spans a wide range across the places we scored. Scores run from 12.7 in North Richmond to 77.4 in Clayton, with a county middle value of 32.6."
image: "https://satelife.ai/images/wildfire-risk/contra-costa-county/generated/contra-costa-county-locator.webp"
canonical: "https://satelife.ai/wildfire-risk/california/contra-costa-county/"
---

[Home](/)›[Wildfire Risk](/wildfire-risk/)›[California](/wildfire-risk/california/)›Contra Costa County

Contra Costa County, California

# Wildfire risk in Contra Costa County: _where it is highest_, and why

Wildfire risk in Contra Costa County spans a wide range across the places we scored. Scores run from 12.7 in North Richmond to 77.4 in Clayton, with a county middle value of 32.6.

[Score my Contra Costa County address →](#score-my-address) [How risky is this county? ↓](#risk-at-a-glance)

Before 20002000s2010s2020sCommunity

Contra Costa County — the largest fires on record, at their perimeter centres, with the county’s main communities. Select a marker for its detail.

At a glance

## Half of Contra Costa County scores _Moderate_ or worse

We scored 194 points across Contra Costa County on the same 0–100 scale a Satelife address report uses, and they do not land in one place. 1% of them come out Very High, while 38% are Low. Which end your own parcel sits at is not something a county map can tell you.

28%

33%

38%

**Very High** 1% · 2 of 194 points **High** 28% · 55 of 194 points **Moderate** 33% · 64 of 194 points **Low** 38% · 73 of 194 points

Safest end we measured 12.7 near North Richmond · Low

Middle of the county 32.6 Moderate — half of Contra Costa County is above this

Most exposed end we measured 77.4 near Clayton · Very High

### And the federal models agree it is a fire county

Relatively Moderate FEMA National Risk Index — wildfire risk rating · index score 97.6 / 100

$10.8M / yr FEMA NRI — expected annual loss from wildfire · rated Relatively High

0.65% USFS Wildfire Risk to Communities — mean annual burn probability · 90th-percentile cell 1.40%

3.14 ft USFS WRC — mean conditional flame length · 69% of the county carries burnable fuel

FEMA NRI also rates Contra Costa County: all-hazards risk Very High · social vulnerability Relatively Low · community resilience Relatively High · annualised wildfire frequency 0.0048.

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index 1.20.0 (Dec 2025), county record · USFS Wildfire Risk to Communities v2.0, mean of the grid cells inside the county. Both describe the county as a whole, never an address in it.

What does your Contra Costa County address score?

A county range shows the spread. Your parcel sits somewhere inside it — the report says where, and what to do about it.

Free to request · PDF report with a 0–100 score, the drivers behind it, and a mitigation plan

Local context

## What the data says about _Contra Costa County_

Looking at the four address-style risk tiers, the largest group of scored locations falls in the Low tier (73), followed by Moderate (64) and High (55). Very High shows up, but only in a small number of places.

For county-wide context, FEMA’s National Risk Index rates Contra Costa County’s wildfire risk as Relatively Moderate and its wildfire expected annual loss as Relatively High.

Fire record

## Where the fires _actually were_

Since 1984, 12,119 acres have burned within recorded perimeters in Contra Costa County. That equals 2.4% of the county, across 42 fire perimeters.

The largest fire listed for this county is Morgan (2013), and it is also the most recent large fire. Its recorded size is 3,108 acres.

Other named fires in the county record include Mitchell Canyon (1977), which reached 4,859 acres, and Blackhawk (1981).

42 mapped fire perimeters centred in the county since 1984

12,119 acres inside those perimeters since 1984

2.4% of the county's area, as a share of 2,069.2 km²

Morgan 2013 most recent large fire on record

Before 20002000s2010s2020s 

Fire perimeters coloured by decade. Select a perimeter for its name, year and size.

Named fires on record

-   **Morgan Fire**20133,108 acres
-   **Mitchell Canyon Fire**19774,859 acres
-   **Blackhawk Fire**19812,361 acres
-   **Greenridge #6 Fire**19981,388 acres
-   **Vasco Fire**19671,399 acres
-   **State Park #2 Fire**19611,241 acres
-   **Kirker Fire**2013478 acres
-   **Marsh Creek Fire**1958976 acres

Perimeter sources: NIFC Interagency Fire Perimeter History · largest on record: Morgan 2013. Perimeters are simplified for display; acreage is the figure the source records.

Communities

## Where in the county you are _matters most_

Community-level patterns show both lower-risk and higher-risk pockets. North Richmond is at 13.4, while Kensington is at 64.9.

Among the largest cities, Antioch is higher at 36.9, while Concord (18.8) and Richmond (19.6) are lower.

Several foothill and edge communities sit higher than nearby urban centers, including Moraga (54.1), Orinda (51.8), and Lafayette (44.8).

Kensington village · 5,077 people

64.9 _High_

Clayton town · 12,265 people

64 _High_

Blackhawk village · 9,637 people

57.1 _High_

Diablo village · 1,255 people

54.6 _High_

Moraga town · 17,783 people

54.1 _High_

Martinez town · 38,297 people

54 _High_

Crockett village · 3,100 people

53.1 _High_

Canyon village

52.2 _High_

Orinda town · 19,926 people

51.8 _High_

Norris Canyon village · 957 people

51.8 _High_

34 more communities in Contra Costa County

East Richmond Heights village · 3,280 people

50.8 _High_

Camino Tassajara village · 4,951 people

50.1 _High_

North Gate village

45.6 _Moderate_

Lafayette town · 26,638 people

44.8 _Moderate_

El Sobrante village

44 _Moderate_

Byron village · 1,277 people

42.9 _Moderate_

Bay Point town · 21,349 people

38.7 _Moderate_

Antioch city · 111,502 people

36.9 _Moderate_

Castle Hill village · 1,299 people

35.9 _Moderate_

Walnut Creek town · 70,166 people

28.6 _Moderate_

Knightsen village · 1,568 people

27.5 _Moderate_

San Ramon town · 75,995 people

26.8 _Moderate_

Pacheco village · 3,700 people

26.6 _Moderate_

Brentwood town · 64,474 people

25.6 _Moderate_

Clyde village

25.2 _Moderate_

Bethel Island village · 2,137 people

25 _Moderate_

Discovery Bay town · 13,352 people

24.3 _Low_

Saranap village · 5,202 people

22.5 _Low_

Danville town · 44,510 people

22.1 _Low_

El Cerrito town · 25,508 people

21.3 _Low_

Rodeo village

20.9 _Low_

Pittsburg town · 72,588 people

20 _Low_

Richmond city · 110,567 people

19.6 _Low_

Oakley town · 42,543 people

18.9 _Low_

Concord city · 129,295 people

18.8 _Low_

Pleasant Hill town · 34,839 people

18.8 _Low_

San Pablo town · 30,990 people

18.8 _Low_

Pinole town · 19,250 people

18.8 _Low_

Alamo town · 15,314 people

18.8 _Low_

Vine Hill village · 3,800 people

18.8 _Low_

Mountain View village · 2,372 people

18.8 _Low_

Contra Costa Centre village

18.8 _Low_

Hercules town · 26,276 people

16.3 _Low_

North Richmond village · 3,717 people

13.4 _Low_

The score is the median of the sampled points nearest that community — a community-scale indicator, not a score for any individual property in it. Population comes from the community's own record where the source carries one.

Terrain & fuels

## Terrain, vegetation and _fuels_

Terrain exposure varies a lot by location. The terrain score ranges from 5.0 in Richmond to 65.0 in Camino Tassajara, with a county middle value of 20.0.

Vegetation and fuels also vary widely. Scores run from 5.0 in Byron up to 76.8 in Diablo, and the county middle value is 40.0.

Hazard-zone scores are low in many places but reach very high values in some areas: the middle value is 10.0, while Moraga reaches 90.0.

Fire-history scores are also uneven. The middle value is 5.0, and Blackhawk reaches 95.0.

20 median terrain score (max 65 near Camino Tassajara)

40 median vegetation & fuels score (max 76.8 near Diablo)

Fire weather

## Fire weather across _Contra Costa County_

Fire-weather scores were measured across the county and are tightly grouped. Values run from 61.9 in Byron to 69.2 in Discovery Bay, with a middle value of 67.9.

Separately, the USFS Wildfire Risk to Communities model reports a mean annual burn probability of 0.65% and a 90th-percentile cell value of 1.40%. It also shows that 68.9% of the county is in areas that can burn.

61.9 lowest fire-weather score — near Byron

69.2 highest fire-weather score — near Discovery Bay

What drives it

## Which part of the risk _moves_, and which doesn't

Risk is not even across the county. The lowest scored location is North Richmond at 12.7, while the highest is Clayton at 77.4.

Among named communities, higher middle scores appear in places like Kensington (64.9) and Clayton (64.0), while North Richmond is much lower at 13.4.

Even among larger cities and towns, differences are clear: Antioch is at 36.9, Concord at 18.8, and Martinez at 54.0.

Each bar is what one part of the score covers across Contra Costa County, on the same 0–100 scale. A long bar is a part of the risk that depends on where you are; a short one is the same almost everywhere.

Terrain

5–65 highest near Camino Tassajara

Vegetation & fuels

5–76.8 highest near Diablo

Hazard zone

10–90 highest near Moraga

Fire history

5–95 highest near Blackhawk

Fire weather

61.9–69.2 highest near Discovery Bay

Overall score

12.7–77.4 highest near Clayton

The tick on each bar is the middle value. Tier boundaries — Moderate at 25, High at 50, Very High at 75 — are the faint lines behind them.

Show every number behind these bars

Layer

Min

Median

Max

Lowest place

Highest place

Points

Terrain

5

20

65

Richmond

Camino Tassajara

194

Vegetation & fuels

5

40

76.8

Byron

Diablo

194

Hazard zone

10

10

90

San Ramon

Moraga

194

Fire history

5

5

95

Norris Canyon

Blackhawk

194

Fire weather

61.9

67.9

69.2

Byron

Discovery Bay

194

Composite

12.7

32.6

77.4

North Richmond

Clayton

194

Independently of Satelife's layers, the USFS Wildfire Risk to Communities grid puts the county's mean annual burn probability at **0.65%** (90th percentile cell: **1.40%**), with a mean conditional flame length of **3.14 ft**. **69%** of the 24,362 grid cells inside the county carry burnable fuel at all.

Source: USFS Wildfire Risk to Communities v2.0 (ImageServer, county extent).

CAL FIRE has no mapped Fire Hazard Severity Zone at **4** of the 194 sampled points — the zones cover Local Responsibility Areas. At **2** of them the USFS grid above supplied the hazard reading instead; at the remaining 2 the hazard weight is renormalised away rather than scored as low.

194 sample points on a ~2.3 km grid, plus one at the centre of each community, weighted with the Satelife county profile v1 · median layer coverage 100%. Scores are 0–100 and comparable within the county, not across states.

For a property

## What a county range means for _one address_

For a homeowner or buyer, the key point is that wildfire risk changes a lot by location in Contra Costa County. The scored locations are spread across Low, Moderate, High, and Very High tiers, with the largest count in Low (73).

Nearby places can still look very different on specific risk components. For example, hazard-zone scores are 10.0 in San Ramon and 90.0 in Moraga.

County-wide ratings give added context but are not neighborhood-specific. FEMA’s National Risk Index rates Contra Costa County’s wildfire risk as Relatively Moderate and its all-hazards risk as Very High.

Across 194 sampled points in Contra Costa County, the score runs from 12.7 to 77.4 — two neighbouring parcels can sit in different tiers. A county number is the middle of that spread; it says nothing about which end yours is at.

Find out where your Contra Costa County parcel sits

Slope, the fuel touching the structure, the road out, the fire history within a mile — measured at your address, not averaged across the county.

Free to request · PDF report with a 0–100 score, the drivers behind it, and a mitigation plan

Coverage

## ZIP codes we cover in Contra Costa County

Every one of the 60 ZIP areas that touch Contra Costa County — we run address-level reports in all of them. They are grouped by the median score of the points we sampled inside each, which is a neighbourhood-scale indicator and **not** a score for any property: two homes in the same ZIP routinely land in different tiers.

**High** 10 ZIPs

-   [94517 Clayton72](/wildfire-risk/zip/94517/)
-   [94521 Clayton58](/wildfire-risk/zip/94521/)
-   [94563 Orinda56](/wildfire-risk/zip/94563/)
-   [94556 Moraga54](/wildfire-risk/zip/94556/)
-   [94516 Canyon53](/wildfire-risk/zip/94516/)
-   [94569 Crockett53](/wildfire-risk/zip/94569/)
-   [94805 East Richmond Heights51](/wildfire-risk/zip/94805/)
-   [94588 Camino Tassajara50](/wildfire-risk/zip/94588/)
-   [94551 Camino Tassajara50](/wildfire-risk/zip/94551/)
-   [94583 Norris Canyon50](/wildfire-risk/zip/94583/)

**Moderate** 20 ZIPs

-   [94506 Blackhawk49](/wildfire-risk/zip/94506/)
-   [94803 El Sobrante48](/wildfire-risk/zip/94803/)
-   [94509 Antioch40](/wildfire-risk/zip/94509/)
-   [94598 North Gate40](/wildfire-risk/zip/94598/)
-   [94708 Kensington40](/wildfire-risk/zip/94708/)
-   [94553 Martinez38](/wildfire-risk/zip/94553/)
-   [94528 Diablo37](/wildfire-risk/zip/94528/)
-   [94531 Antioch37](/wildfire-risk/zip/94531/)
-   [94549 Lafayette36](/wildfire-risk/zip/94549/)
-   [94565 Bay Point36](/wildfire-risk/zip/94565/)
-   [94596 Castle Hill36](/wildfire-risk/zip/94596/)
-   [94582 San Ramon35](/wildfire-risk/zip/94582/)
-   [94564 El Sobrante31](/wildfire-risk/zip/94564/)
-   [94572 Rodeo30](/wildfire-risk/zip/94572/)
-   [94514 Byron29](/wildfire-risk/zip/94514/)
-   [94547 Hercules29](/wildfire-risk/zip/94547/)
-   [94513 Brentwood26](/wildfire-risk/zip/94513/)
-   [94511 Bethel Island26](/wildfire-risk/zip/94511/)
-   [94525 Crockett26](/wildfire-risk/zip/94525/)
-   [94561 Oakley25](/wildfire-risk/zip/94561/)

**Low** 13 ZIPs

-   [95219 Bethel Island25](/wildfire-risk/zip/95219/)
-   [94530 El Cerrito24](/wildfire-risk/zip/94530/)
-   [94526 Danville22](/wildfire-risk/zip/94526/)
-   [94505 Discovery Bay21](/wildfire-risk/zip/94505/)
-   [94804 Richmond20](/wildfire-risk/zip/94804/)
-   [94507 Alamo19](/wildfire-risk/zip/94507/)
-   [94518 Concord19](/wildfire-risk/zip/94518/)
-   [94520 Concord19](/wildfire-risk/zip/94520/)
-   [94523 Pleasant Hill19](/wildfire-risk/zip/94523/)
-   [94595 Castle Hill19](/wildfire-risk/zip/94595/)
-   [94597 Contra Costa Centre19](/wildfire-risk/zip/94597/)
-   [94801 North Richmond19](/wildfire-risk/zip/94801/)
-   [94806 San Pablo19](/wildfire-risk/zip/94806/)

**No sampled point inside** 17 ZIPs

[94519 Concord](/wildfire-risk/zip/94519/) · [94546 Norris Canyon](/wildfire-risk/zip/94546/) · [94548 Knightsen](/wildfire-risk/zip/94548/) · [94552 Norris Canyon](/wildfire-risk/zip/94552/) · [94568 San Ramon](/wildfire-risk/zip/94568/) · [94571 Antioch](/wildfire-risk/zip/94571/) · [94575 Moraga](/wildfire-risk/zip/94575/) · [94590 Crockett](/wildfire-risk/zip/94590/) · [94611 Canyon](/wildfire-risk/zip/94611/) · [94619 Canyon](/wildfire-risk/zip/94619/) · [94705 Orinda](/wildfire-risk/zip/94705/) · [94706 Kensington](/wildfire-risk/zip/94706/) · [94707 Kensington](/wildfire-risk/zip/94707/) · [94710 El Cerrito](/wildfire-risk/zip/94710/) · [95206 Discovery Bay](/wildfire-risk/zip/95206/) · [95304 Byron](/wildfire-risk/zip/95304/) · [95391 Byron](/wildfire-risk/zip/95391/)

Grouped from 43 of 60 ZIP areas — the rest had no sample point fall inside them. The community shown is the nearest mapped place to the ZIP's centre.

ZIP areas are Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas intersecting the county boundary.

Where to go next

## Contra Costa County wildfire risk _in context_

[California wildfire risk The statewide picture and every county page we publish](/wildfire-risk/california/) [Wildfire risk by state Every state and county we cover](/wildfire-risk/) [How Satelife calculates wildfire risk Data sources, layers, score composition, honest limits](/wildfire-risk/methodology/) [Create a wildfire evacuation plan Zones, egress routes, refuge areas](/wildfire-evacuation-plan/) [Run a report for a Contra Costa County address PDF + score + mitigation plan](/#cta)

FAQ

## Frequently asked questions about _Contra Costa County wildfire risk_

What is the largest fire listed for Contra Costa County?

The largest fire listed is Morgan (2013) at 3,108 acres. It is also the most recent large fire in the county record.

How much of the county has burned since 1984?

2.4% of Contra Costa County has burned since 1984, totaling 12,119 acres across 42 fire perimeters.

Is wildfire risk similar everywhere in the county?

No. Scores range from 12.7 in North Richmond to 77.4 in Clayton, so risk can differ substantially from one community to another.

Do fire-weather conditions vary much across Contra Costa County?

In the county scoring, fire-weather values are in a narrow band, from 61.9 to 69.2. A separate USFS model reports mean annual burn probability as 0.65% and a 90th-percentile cell value of 1.40%.

What does FEMA say about county-wide wildfire risk?

FEMA’s National Risk Index rates Contra Costa County’s wildfire risk as Relatively Moderate and wildfire expected annual loss as Relatively High.

This page is generated from a Contra Costa County data pack assembled on 2026-08-18 (pack v1.0). Scores are sampled across the county, not measured at any individual address, and are informational decision support — not a substitute for official evacuation orders, a fire-agency hazard determination, or an insurer's underwriting judgement. Data versions: fema\_nri 1.20.0 (Dec 2025) · landfire per adapter · nifc\_history All Years View · wfigs current · wrc v2.0 (2024) · zcta Census 2020.

## What does _your parcel_ look like, layer by layer?

A county range shows the spread. An address-level Satelife report shows where in that spread your property actually sits — PDF, per-layer score, and a prioritized mitigation plan.

[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.
