Elfin Forest, CA
Elfin Forest wildfire risk explained
Elfin Forest's 441 buildings earn a 92nd-percentile wildfire-risk score nationally under USFS's model — in USFS's highest wildfire-risk band nationally. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, Elfin Forest's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 90th percentile nationally.
Where Elfin Forest's buildings actually sit
USFS classifies 88.9% of Elfin Forest's buildings as Direct exposure, higher than its 11.1% Indirect share and far above its 0% Minimal share — a profile where 392 structures sit close enough to vegetation that lot clearing matters most.
Elfin Forest against the rest of the country
Elfin Forest ranks lower within California (65th percentile statewide) than its 92nd national percentile suggests alone — a calmer spot in a state where wildfire risk generally runs high. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Elfin Forest ranks 2,638 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 18,432 by building count (1 is largest). Within California alone, it ranks 544 of 1,570 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for California on its state page.
Elfin Forest and the insurance market
Elfin Forest's 92nd-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.
Hardening a home in Elfin Forest
Elfin Forest's 88.9% Direct-exposure share means lot clearing around the structure typically outweighs any single material upgrade here. The home-hardening guide ranks the options for a place shaped like this.
Where Elfin Forest's figures come from
Elfin Forest's 92nd-percentile score and its burn-probability figure both come from the same USFS workbook, documented in the methodology guide. The exposure-zones guide covers what Elfin Forest's dominant direct exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.