WildfiresMore than two million California homes at risk as drought continues
Verisk Insurance Solutions, a Verisk Analytics, has released its 2015 FireLine State Risk Reports, which summarize wildfire risk in thirteen wildfire-prone states. Three new states — Montana, Oklahoma, and Wyoming — are included in this year’s analysis. Among the key findings: There are 4.5 million U.S. homes at high or extreme risk of wildfire, and California ranks first for the highest number of households at high or extreme risk with just over two million — approximately three times the second highest, Texas, with 706,200.
Jersey City, New Jersey-based Verisk Insurance Solutions, a Verisk Analytics, has released its 2015 FireLine State Risk Reports, which summarize wildfire risk in thirteen wildfire-prone states. Three new states — Montana, Oklahoma, and Wyoming — are included in this year’s analysis.
Key findings from the analysis include:
- There are 4.5 million U.S. homes at high or extreme risk of wildfire.
- California ranks first for the highest number of households at high or extreme risk with just over two million — approximately three times the second highest, Texas, with 706,200.
- The states with the highest percentage of households at high or extreme risk of wildfire are Montana (27 percent) and Idaho (25 percent).
- Colorado ranks third in terms of both number and percentage of households at high or extreme risk.
“Worsening drought conditions in the western states indicate that 2015 has the potential to be one of the most devastating wildfire seasons on record. The number of wildfires in California alone in the first five months of 2015 is up 54 percent over the five-year average for the same time period,” says Neil Spector, president, Underwriting, Verisk Insurance Solutions. “It’s more important than ever for insurers to be prepared and manage their wildfire risk effectively.”
Versik notes that the reports are produced using data from FireLine, Verisk’s wildfire risk management service. FireLine, powered by Verisk Climate technology, helps insurers assess wildfire risk at the address level. The service uses remote sensing and digital mapping technology to determine the impact of three factors which contribute to wildfire risk: fuel, slope, and access.
FireLine also identifies properties located in Special Hazard Interface Areas for risks exposed to wind-borne embers.
The FireLine State Risk Reports provide snapshot views of the wildfire risk in each FireLine state. The reports include:
- wildfire risk at a glance
- FireLine wildfire hazard map
- percentage and number of housing units at high, medium, and low wildfire risk
- top five counties by number of housing units and highest concentration of high and extreme wildfire risk
FireLine is part of the LOCATION suite of property products which provide data on every U.S. property to help insurers assess risk effectively and make sound underwriting decisions.
