How fire-risk is classified across the US
FireRiskHere uses two fire-risk classifications: one national, one California-specific. What each one means and how they overlap.
Guides
These guides explain the concepts behind FireRiskHere in plain English. Each one covers a single topic in a few minutes — what it means, what it doesn’t mean, and how it shows up on the site.
The guides are written for general readers; the methodology page is for anyone who wants the formal sources and processing rules.
What “active” vs “contained” means
Why some wildfires count as “active” even after the flames are out, and what FireRiskHere counts as an “active fire”.
How does FireRiskHere know where you are?
Why FireRiskHere doesn’t ask for your location, how close it gets anyway, and how to search if the result is off.