Out of 84 counties with wildfire data, these are the counties with the highest smoke exposure risk.
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Counties ranked | 84 |
| Avg smoke risk (top 100) | 12/100 |
| Total county fires 5yr (top 100) | 817 |
Top 84 Counties
| Rank | County | State | Smoke Risk | County Fires (5yr) | ZIP Codes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Iosco | Michigan | 27/100 | 48 | 11 |
| 2 | Oscoda | Michigan | 22/100 | 30 | 6 |
| 3 | Lake | Michigan | 21/100 | 86 | 5 |
| 4 | Manistee | Michigan | 21/100 | 49 | 10 |
| 5 | Alcona | Michigan | 21/100 | 17 | 6 |
| 6 | Ogemaw | Michigan | 21/100 | 12 | 4 |
| 7 | Crawford | Michigan | 21/100 | 10 | 3 |
| 8 | Chippewa | Michigan | 21/100 | 3 | 20 |
| 9 | Wexford | Michigan | 20/100 | 11 | 5 |
| 10 | Saginaw | Michigan | 20/100 | 3 | 26 |
| 11 | Leelanau | Michigan | 20/100 | 3 | 8 |
| 12 | Marquette | Michigan | 20/100 | 1 | 13 |
| 13 | Roscommon | Michigan | 19/100 | 11 | 6 |
| 14 | Grand Traverse | Michigan | 19/100 | 5 | 12 |
| 15 | Benzie | Michigan | 18/100 | 49 | 8 |
| 16 | Arenac | Michigan | 18/100 | 12 | 7 |
| 17 | Osceola | Michigan | 17/100 | 74 | 7 |
| 18 | Luce | Michigan | 17/100 | 3 | 3 |
| 19 | Antrim | Michigan | 17/100 | 0 | 11 |
| 20 | Mason | Michigan | 16/100 | 24 | 6 |
| 21 | Clare | Michigan | 16/100 | 12 | 5 |
| 22 | Montmorency | Michigan | 16/100 | 12 | 4 |
| 23 | Mackinac | Michigan | 16/100 | 1 | 6 |
| 24 | Midland | Michigan | 15/100 | 17 | 11 |
| 25 | Bay | Michigan | 15/100 | 10 | 11 |
| 26 | Baraga | Michigan | 15/100 | 3 | 8 |
| 27 | Kalkaska | Michigan | 15/100 | 0 | 3 |
| 28 | Gladwin | Michigan | 14/100 | 10 | 3 |
| 29 | Gogebic | Michigan | 14/100 | 10 | 6 |
| 30 | Genesee | Michigan | 14/100 | 0 | 39 |
| 31 | Isabella | Michigan | 13/100 | 14 | 7 |
| 32 | Otsego | Michigan | 13/100 | 8 | 6 |
| 33 | Iron | Michigan | 13/100 | 5 | 9 |
| 34 | Schoolcraft | Michigan | 13/100 | 4 | 4 |
| 35 | Tuscola | Michigan | 13/100 | 2 | 16 |
| 36 | Shiawassee | Michigan | 13/100 | 0 | 9 |
| 37 | Gratiot | Michigan | 13/100 | 0 | 14 |
| 38 | Mecosta | Michigan | 13/100 | 0 | 9 |
| 39 | Newaygo | Michigan | 12/100 | 86 | 9 |
| 40 | Alpena | Michigan | 12/100 | 12 | 4 |
| 41 | Oceana | Michigan | 12/100 | 6 | 6 |
| 42 | Cheboygan | Michigan | 12/100 | 6 | 8 |
| 43 | Ontonagon | Michigan | 12/100 | 4 | 10 |
| 44 | Clinton | Michigan | 12/100 | 3 | 10 |
| 45 | Menominee | Michigan | 12/100 | 3 | 12 |
| 46 | Houghton | Michigan | 12/100 | 3 | 13 |
| 47 | Dickinson | Michigan | 12/100 | 1 | 8 |
| 48 | Montcalm | Michigan | 11/100 | 74 | 26 |
| 49 | Emmet | Michigan | 11/100 | 6 | 13 |
| 50 | Charlevoix | Michigan | 11/100 | 2 | 5 |
| 51 | Keweenaw | Michigan | 11/100 | 2 | 4 |
| 52 | Missaukee | Michigan | 11/100 | 1 | 4 |
| 53 | Huron | Michigan | 11/100 | 1 | 13 |
| 54 | Lapeer | Michigan | 11/100 | 0 | 10 |
| 55 | Alger | Michigan | 10/100 | 6 | 11 |
| 56 | Ingham | Michigan | 10/100 | 1 | 41 |
| 57 | Berrien | Michigan | 10/100 | 0 | 28 |
| 58 | Livingston | Michigan | 10/100 | 0 | 10 |
| 59 | Delta | Michigan | 9/100 | 10 | 12 |
| 60 | Presque Isle | Michigan | 9/100 | 7 | 7 |
| 61 | Muskegon | Michigan | 9/100 | 6 | 15 |
| 62 | Ransom | Michigan | 8/100 | 4 | 1 |
| 63 | Sanilac | Michigan | 8/100 | 1 | 17 |
| 64 | Oakland | Michigan | 8/100 | 0 | 87 |
| 65 | Ionia | Michigan | 8/100 | 0 | 13 |
| 66 | St. Clair | Michigan | 7/100 | 0 | 19 |
| 67 | Eaton | Michigan | 7/100 | 0 | 12 |
| 68 | Allegan | Michigan | 6/100 | 6 | 18 |
| 69 | Kent | Michigan | 6/100 | 6 | 49 |
| 70 | Van Buren | Michigan | 6/100 | 1 | 14 |
| 71 | Macomb | Michigan | 6/100 | 0 | 40 |
| 72 | Washtenaw | Michigan | 6/100 | 0 | 21 |
| 73 | Wayne | Michigan | 6/100 | 0 | 94 |
| 74 | Kalamazoo | Michigan | 6/100 | 0 | 22 |
| 75 | Calhoun | Michigan | 6/100 | 0 | 17 |
| 76 | Barry | Michigan | 6/100 | 0 | 9 |
| 77 | Cass | Michigan | 6/100 | 0 | 7 |
| 78 | Jackson | Michigan | 6/100 | 0 | 15 |
| 79 | Hillsdale | Michigan | 6/100 | 0 | 16 |
| 80 | Ottawa | Michigan | 6/100 | 0 | 17 |
| 81 | Monroe | Michigan | 5/100 | 0 | 18 |
| 82 | Branch | Michigan | 5/100 | 0 | 5 |
| 83 | St. Joseph | Michigan | 5/100 | 0 | 10 |
| 84 | Lenawee | Michigan | 5/100 | 0 | 20 |
Methodology
County rankings for Michigan based on average smoke risk score and fire frequency.
Data sources: National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC), EPA AirNow. Last updated: 2026-06-04.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is wildfire smoke risk calculated?
Smoke risk scores (0-100) combine multiple factors: proximity to recent wildfires, county fire frequency over the past 5 years, historical smoke days, and geographic position relative to typical fire corridors. Higher scores indicate greater smoke exposure risk during fire season.
How can I protect myself from wildfire smoke?
Use a HEPA air purifier indoors, wear N95 or KN95 masks outdoors during smoke events, seal windows and doors, and monitor AirNow.gov for real-time air quality. Create a clean room in your home with the purifier running and windows sealed.