In a shocking revelation, a recent study found that extreme wildfires have doubled in frequency and intensity over the past two decades, causing significant environmental and economic damage.1
As the 2024 wildfire season kicks off with a destructive start, it’s crucial to understand which cities are high risk.
1. Los Angeles, California: Tinderbox of the West
The City of Angels tops our list, with its sprawling urban-wildland interface and notoriously dry climate. Over 1.5 million people live in high fire-risk zones within L.A. County alone.(ref)
Frequent Santa Ana winds can rapidly spread flames across the region’s chaparral-covered hillsides. Recent megafires like the 2018 Woolsey Fire, which burned nearly 97,000 acres, highlight the ever-present danger to this iconic metropolis.
2. San Diego, California: Where Desert Meets the Sea
San Diego’s unique geography places it squarely in the wildfire danger zone. The city’s eastern suburbs extend deep into fire-prone canyons and mesas.
October’s hot, dry Santa Ana winds create perfect fire conditions, as seen in the devastating 2003 Cedar Fire that consumed over 273,000 acres. Ongoing drought has only amplified the risk to San Diego’s 1.4 million residents.
3. San Francisco Bay Area, California: Silicon Valley Aflame
The tech hub of America isn’t immune to nature’s wrath. Densely populated areas like the Oakland Hills sit precariously close to highly flammable eucalyptus groves and dry grasslands.
Memories of the catastrophic 1991 Oakland Hills firestorm, which killed 25 and destroyed over 3,000 homes, still haunt the region. Climate change-driven heat waves and droughts are priming the Bay Area for future conflagrations.
4. Denver, Colorado: Mile-High Inferno
Colorado’s capital faces a growing wildfire threat as development pushes further into the surrounding foothills and forests. The 2020 East Troublesome Fire, which burned over 193,000 acres, served as a wake-up call for the region.
Denver’s semi-arid climate and frequent high winds create dangerous fire conditions. Drought-stressed pine forests killed by bark beetles provide ample fuel for potential megafires on the city’s doorstep.
5. Reno, Nevada: High Desert Hazard
The Biggest Little City in the World sits in a wildfire-prone bowl surrounded by sagebrush and pine-covered mountains. Reno’s rapid growth has pushed neighborhoods deeper into the wildland-urban interface.
Summer thunderstorms often spark fires in the tinder-dry landscape, while strong winds can quickly drive flames towards populated areas. The 2020 Pinehaven Fire, which destroyed multiple homes, highlighted Reno’s vulnerability.
6. Salt Lake City, Utah: Wasatch Front under Fire
Utah’s capital faces increasing wildfire danger as development creeps up the Wasatch Range. The city’s location in a mountain valley creates the perfect conditions for rapidly spreading fires.
Drought-stricken forests and invasive cheatgrass provide abundant fuel. The 2020 Neff’s Fire, which threatened hundreds of homes, underscored the growing risk to Salt Lake City’s expanding suburbs.
7. Boise, Idaho: Gem State Inferno
Idaho’s capital is no stranger to wildfire threats. The city’s location at the edge of the vast sagebrush steppe leaves it vulnerable to fast-moving range fires.
Boise’s rapidly growing population has pushed development into fire-prone foothills and canyons. The 2016 Table Rock Fire, which burned over 2,500 acres on the city’s outskirts, served as a stark reminder of the ever-present danger.
8. Bend, Oregon: High Desert Firestorm
This outdoor recreation mecca in central Oregon faces significant wildfire risk. Bend’s location in a dry ponderosa pine forest, coupled with its rapid growth, has created a dangerous wildland-urban interface.
The 2020 fire season, which saw multiple large blazes threaten the city, highlighted Bend’s vulnerability. Ongoing drought and bark beetle infestations have left surrounding forests primed for potentially catastrophic fires.
9. Albuquerque, New Mexico: Duke City Ablaze
New Mexico’s largest city sits in the shadow of the fire-prone Sandia Mountains. Albuquerque’s semi-arid climate and surrounding piñon-juniper woodlands create ideal conditions for wildfires.
The city’s eastward expansion has placed more homes and businesses at risk. The 2011 Las Conchas Fire, which burned over 150,000 acres nearby, demonstrated the potential for large-scale fires in the region.
10. Flagstaff, Arizona: Ponderosa Inferno
This mountain town in northern Arizona faces an existential wildfire threat. Flagstaff is surrounded by the largest contiguous ponderosa pine forest in North America, much of it overgrown due to decades of fire suppression.
Climate change-driven drought has left these forests tinder-dry. The 2010 Schultz Fire, which burned over 15,000 acres and led to devastating post-fire flooding, highlighted the complex wildfire risks facing Flagstaff.
Source:
1. Nature Ecology & Evolution
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Davin is a jack-of-all-trades but has professional training and experience in various home and garden subjects. He leans on other experts when needed and edits and fact-checks all articles.