BuildabilityFree wildfire check · No signup
Wildfire hazard at the address.
The U.S. Forest Service hazard class where the address sits, read live in about 20 seconds.
Or tap a pin on the map below: two public places, 1.7 km apart.
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Non-burnable
- Water
USFS Wildfire Hazard Potential, 2023 release · 270 m cells · Boulder, CO · pins read Nov 2, 2026
One factor in the Score.
Wildfire is about 12% of the Buildability Score by default, and about 20% in California. No read, no guess: the factor is left out.
Free check. $99 for the record.
$0No card, no signup
- The wildfire class at the address
- The full Buildability Score, every factor
- The source, and when it was read
$99Property Report · one time
- The parcel record
- Zoning standards, where the code has been read
- Valuation and comparable sales
- The same Forest Service wildfire read
Go deeper
Wildfire, in full
How the Forest Service classes become the check and the Score, what fire code asks of a build, and every question.
What each Forest Service class becomes
The Forest Service classifies Wildfire Hazard Potential into seven classes. The check folds them into four levels, and each level sets the wildfire factor in the Score.
| Forest Service class | In the check | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 · Very low | Low | 85 |
| 2 · Low | Low | 85 |
| 3 · Moderate | Moderate | 70 |
| 4 · High | High | 50 |
| 5 · Very high | Very high | 35 |
| 6 · Non-burnable | Low · built-up or fuel-free land | 85 |
| 7 · Water | No class, as with no sample at the point | Left out |
Non-burnable is an answer, not missing data: built-up or fuel-free land reads Low. Only water, no sample at the point, or a failed read leaves the factor out.
SourceUSFS Wildfire Hazard Potential, 2023 release·All data sources
How wildfire is weighted
Wildfire is one of the seven parcel factors that drive the number. It stays a parcel factor because the raster genuinely varies lot to lot in wildland terrain. Seismic and radon are shown as context only, at 0 weight.
When there is no read, the factor is dropped and the weights renormalize over the factors that returned data. It never counts as a zero.
| Region | Wildfire weight | Engine value |
|---|---|---|
| National default | 12% | 0.1236 |
| California | 20% | 0.1975 |
| Florida | 13% | 0.1263 |
| Texas | 12% | 0.1183 |
SourceBuildability Score v3 weights·Regional overrides: CA, FL, TX·How the Score works
What building to fire code asks for
The components that matter in a wildland rebuild, and what each one requires.
- Class A roof
- Metal, tile or asphalt-fiberglass shingle rated Class A per ASTM E108.
- Ignition-resistant siding
- Fiber cement, stucco, or ignition-resistant treated wood.
- Ember-resistant vents
- 1/8-inch mesh or intumescent vents on eaves and crawlspaces (required by California Chapter 7A).
- Tempered windows
- Dual-pane, with one tempered pane, on exposed elevations.
Typical requirements; the code your jurisdiction has adopted governs. The check does not read which code applies.
CodeASTM E108·California Building Code Chapter 7A
Defensible space, zone by zone
Defensible space is the area around a structure where vegetation and materials are changed to cut fire risk. It typically runs 100 feet, in three bands, named here as CAL FIRE names them.
- Zone 0 · 0–5 ft
- Non-combustible materials only in the immediate perimeter around the structure.
- Zone 1 · 5–30 ft
- Fire-resistant landscaping that keeps flames from reaching the walls.
- Zone 2 · 30–100 ft
- Reduced fuel load: thinned vegetation and trimmed trees.
SourceCAL FIRE defensible-space zones 0, 1 and 2
Is my property in a wildfire zone?
The check
How do I check if my property is in a wildfire zone?
Type the address at the top of this page for a free read of the U.S. Forest Service’s Wildfire Hazard Potential class at the parcel. That is not your state’s fire hazard zone: state Fire Hazard Severity Zones and WUI designations are not read, so check your state fire agency’s map for those.
Why did a downtown address read Low?
The Forest Service maps non-burnable land, which includes most built-up ground, as its own class. The check reports it as Low, together with very low and low.
Is it a forecast?
No. The Forest Service says the map carries no weather or fuel-moisture information. It is a long-term planning index, not a forecast or a seasonal outlook, and not a sign that a property will burn.
Fire zones and building
What is a Fire Hazard Severity Zone?
California’s three-tier classification of wildfire hazard, mapped by CAL FIRE: Moderate, High and Very High. Properties in designated zones can be required to meet Chapter 7A of the California Building Code (fire-resistant materials) and maintain defensible space; which zones trigger it depends on the area. Other western states use similar classifications. Buildability does not read FHSZ maps.
What is the Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI)?
The zone where development meets or intermixes with wildland vegetation. Properties in the WUI can face stricter building codes, vegetation management requirements and higher insurance costs. The check does not read WUI boundaries.
What building requirements apply in wildfire zones?
In state-designated High and Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones, requirements typically cover the roof, siding, vents, windows and enclosed eaves (see Fire code), plus defensible space out to 100 feet. A High Forest Service class does not by itself trigger them. Requirements vary by jurisdiction.
How do I reduce wildfire risk on my property?
- Create and maintain defensible space.
- Install a Class A fire-rated roof.
- Use non-combustible siding and decking.
- Install ember-resistant vents.
- Clear gutters and remove dead vegetation.
- Keep trees trimmed 10 or more feet from structures.
Insurance and value
Does wildfire risk affect insurance costs?
Generally, yes. Properties in high-hazard areas can face higher premiums or trouble getting standard coverage, and some insurers have pulled back from high-risk areas. In California, the FAIR Plan is the insurer of last resort. Buildability does not price insurance.
How does wildfire risk affect property value?
Insurance is the main channel: buyers struggle to close when they cannot get coverage, and that shows up in price. Mitigation can partly offset it. Local comparable sales are the measure for a specific market.
Want the whole picture? Nine factors: zoning, flood, seismic, soil, radon, wildfire, utilities, terrain, and lot geometry, for any U.S. address.
RelatedFlood zone check·All data sources