Arcata, CA
Arcata, CA's wildfire risk, in USFS's own numbers
Arcata's 6,244 buildings earn a 52nd-percentile wildfire-risk score nationally under USFS's model — modestly above the national average for wildfire risk. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, Arcata's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 55th percentile nationally.
What "at risk" means for the buildings here
6,244 buildings are counted in Arcata, and 75.2% of them are Indirect exposure — ember-driven risk rather than the 16.1% in Direct exposure or the 8.8% rated Minimal. At 6,244 buildings, this is a substantial built environment, so the shares below describe a real population of structures, not a handful of edge cases.
Where Arcata ranks
Arcata ranks lower within California (12th percentile statewide) than its 52nd national percentile suggests alone — a calmer spot in a state where wildfire risk generally runs high. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Arcata ranks 15,182 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 2,778 by building count (1 is largest). Within California alone, it ranks 1,380 of 1,570 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for California on its state page.
Shopping for coverage in Arcata
Because Arcata is in California, a wildfire-hazard disclosure is legally required before a sale closes here — unusual nationally, since only these two states mandate it. The state's FAIR Plan alone carried 668,609 policies by the end of 2025. Full detail in the disclosure-law guide.
Hardening a home in Arcata
Arcata's 75.2% Indirect-exposure share points at embers, not flame contact, as the main pathway — ember-resistant vents and non-combustible roofing rank ahead of defensible space here. Detail in the home-hardening guide.
Where Arcata's figures come from
Every one of the two percentiles behind Arcata's 15,182-place national rank traces to USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities dataset — see the methodology guide. The exposure-zones guide covers what Arcata's dominant indirect exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.