Rancho Murieta, CA
Rancho Murieta wildfire risk explained
Rancho Murieta sits at the 89th percentile nationally for wildfire risk to structures — in USFS's highest wildfire-risk band nationally — per USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities model, built from its 2,550 counted buildings, not vegetation cover alone. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, Rancho Murieta's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 91st percentile nationally.
Where Rancho Murieta's buildings actually sit
2,550 buildings are counted in Rancho Murieta, and 71.3% of them are Indirect exposure — ember-driven risk rather than the 28.6% in Direct exposure or the 0% rated Minimal.
Where Rancho Murieta ranks
Rancho Murieta ranks lower within California (58th percentile statewide) than its 89th national percentile suggests alone — a calmer spot in a state where wildfire risk generally runs high. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Rancho Murieta ranks 3,550 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 6,200 by building count (1 is largest). Within California alone, it ranks 656 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
Rancho Murieta sits in California, one of two states that legally require a wildfire-risk disclosure at sale. California's FAIR Plan, the state's insurer of last resort, ended 2025 with 668,609 residential policies after adding 21,859 in Q4 alone — the kind of market shift a 89th-percentile score like Rancho Murieta's can end up mattering for. More on the disclosure law.
What would actually reduce this score
Rancho Murieta's 71.3% 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 Rancho Murieta's figures come from
Every one of the two percentiles behind Rancho Murieta's 3,550-place national rank traces to USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities dataset — see the methodology guide. The exposure-zones guide covers what Rancho Murieta's dominant indirect exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.