Verisk: Texas 2nd, Oklahoma 7th in Number of Households at Risk for Wildfire

The 2017 Verisk Wildfire Risk Analysis shows that Texas ranks second behind California for the number of households at high or extreme risk from wildfire.

Using information from the 2010 U.S. Census, the study determined the number and percentage of households at high or extreme risk from wildfire in the 13 most wildfire-prone states.

The top five states identified in the report with the most households at high or extreme risk from wildfire are California (more than 2 million households), Texas (715,300), Colorado (366,200), Arizona (234,600) and Idaho (171,200).

The 13 study states are Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.

Oklahoma ranks seventh for the number of households with high or extreme vulnerability to wildfires. In 2016, 767,800 acres burned in Oklahoma; 356,700 acres burned in Texas.

The 2017 Verisk Wildfire Risk Analysis used data from FireLine, Verisk’s wildfire risk management tool. FireLine uses remote sensing, machine learning, and digital mapping technology to determine the impact of three factors that contribute to wildfire risk: fuel, the vegetation surrounding the property; slope, or grade of the land; and site-access, identifying potential challenges to reach properties via roads or other pathways for fire suppression during wildfires.