Loyalton, CA
Loyalton wildfire risk explained
Out of every US place USFS scores, Loyalton lands at the 98th percentile for wildfire risk to structures — in USFS's highest wildfire-risk band nationally — a figure built from its 555 buildings, not the land around them. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
USFS's separate burn-probability score — fire likelihood alone, before counting what's built there — puts Loyalton at the 98th percentile, close to its 98th-percentile risk score.
Where Loyalton's buildings actually sit
92.4% of Loyalton's 555 buildings fall in USFS's Indirect exposure zone — ember cast rather than direct flame — against 7.6% Direct and 0% Minimal. Vent screens and roofing material matter more here than lot clearing alone.
How Loyalton compares
Loyalton ranks lower within California (83rd percentile statewide) than its 98th national percentile suggests alone — a calmer spot in a state where wildfire risk generally runs high. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Loyalton ranks 658 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 16,491 by building count (1 is largest). Within California alone, it ranks 271 of 1,570 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for California on its state page.
Shopping for coverage in Loyalton
Loyalton's 98th-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 Loyalton
With ember exposure the dominant pattern in Loyalton (92.4% Indirect), vent screens and roofing material tend to matter more than lot clearing alone. The home-hardening guide covers both.
Where Loyalton's figures come from
Loyalton's 98th-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 Loyalton's dominant indirect exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.