Lake Mathews, CA
Lake Mathews wildfire risk explained
Out of every US place USFS scores, Lake Mathews lands at the 95th percentile for wildfire risk to structures — in USFS's highest wildfire-risk band nationally — a figure built from its 3,295 buildings, not the land around them. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Fire likelihood alone (USFS's burn-probability figure) ranks Lake Mathews at the 96th national percentile — 1 points above its risk-to-structures score, a gap driven by how much is actually built there.
What "at risk" means for the buildings here
3,295 buildings are counted in Lake Mathews, and 86.6% of them sit in USFS's Direct exposure zone — flame contact, not just ember cast, is the live possibility for most of them, against 4.1% rated Minimal.
Where Lake Mathews ranks
Lake Mathews ranks lower within California (74th percentile statewide) than its 95th national percentile suggests alone — a calmer spot in a state where wildfire risk generally runs high. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Lake Mathews ranks 1,595 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 5,053 by building count (1 is largest). Within California alone, it ranks 414 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
Because Lake Mathews 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 Lake Mathews
Because Direct exposure dominates in Lake Mathews (86.6%), the highest-leverage fix is defensible space, not roofing or vents alone — covered in the home-hardening guide.
Where Lake Mathews's figures come from
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 3,295 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Lake Mathews. The exposure-zones guide covers what Lake Mathews's dominant direct exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.