Yreka, CA
How exposed is Yreka to wildfire?
Yreka sits at the 96th 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 4,175 counted buildings, not vegetation cover alone. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Fire likelihood alone (USFS's burn-probability figure) ranks Yreka 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
USFS puts 81.6% of Yreka's 4,175 buildings in the Indirect exposure zone, versus 18.4% Direct and 0% Minimal — a place where the fire doesn't need to reach the structure directly for embers to.
Where Yreka ranks
Yreka ranks lower within California (76th percentile statewide) than its 96th national percentile suggests alone — a calmer spot in a state where wildfire risk generally runs high. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Yreka ranks 1,348 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 4,074 by building count (1 is largest). Within California alone, it ranks 386 of 1,570 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for California on its state page.
Yreka and the insurance market
Because Yreka 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 Yreka
Yreka's 81.6% 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 Yreka's figures come from
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 4,175 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Yreka. The exposure-zones guide covers what Yreka's dominant indirect exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.