More than 2.6 million homes in 14 states are at a moderate to very high risk of wildfire damage in 2024, according to an August report from CoreLogic, an analytics and insights company.
The report also finds that just three states — California, Colorado, and Texas — make up 70% of that risk, with Oregon and Arizona right behind them.
“In recent years, we’ve seen wildfires occur in unexpected places, reinforcing the need to understand the risk landscape and take mitigation action,” Jon Schneyer, CoreLogic’s director of catastrophe response, said in a press release. “Both insurers and consumers have a role to play to ensure adequate protection.”
What causes high wildfire risk?
Climate change has led to more dry organic matter, which feeds wildfires, according to the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). Because of this, the number of large fires doubled between 1984 and 2015, PNAS reported. Another 2021 PNAS study found …