Big Pine, CA
How exposed is Big Pine to wildfire?
Big Pine sits at the 71st percentile nationally for wildfire risk to structures — well above the national norm for wildfire risk — per USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities model, built from its 1,153 counted buildings, not vegetation cover alone. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, Big Pine's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 74th percentile nationally.
What "at risk" means for the buildings here
59.8% of Big Pine's 1,153 buildings fall in USFS's Indirect exposure zone — ember cast rather than direct flame — against 40.2% Direct and 0% Minimal. Vent screens and roofing material matter more here than lot clearing alone.
How Big Pine compares
Big Pine ranks lower within California (29th percentile statewide) than its 71st national percentile suggests alone — a calmer spot in a state where wildfire risk generally runs high. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Big Pine ranks 9,131 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 10,929 by building count (1 is largest). Within California alone, it ranks 1,120 of 1,570 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for California on its state page.
What this risk score means for insurance
Big Pine's 71st-percentile score lands in California, the only two states requiring a wildfire disclosure at sale. California's surplus-lines homeowners market passed 300,000 policies for the first time in 2025, driven by carriers pulling back from wildfire-exposed areas statewide. The disclosure-law guide covers what it requires.
What would actually reduce this score
Big Pine's 59.8% 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 Big Pine's figures come from
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 1,153 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Big Pine. The exposure-zones guide covers what Big Pine's dominant indirect exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.