Out of 62 counties with wildfire data, these are the counties with the highest smoke exposure risk.
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Counties ranked | 62 |
| Avg smoke risk (top 100) | 7/100 |
| Total county fires 5yr (top 100) | 101 |
Top 62 Counties
| Rank | County | State | Smoke Risk | County Fires (5yr) | ZIP Codes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Orange | New York | 18/100 | 3 | 67 |
| 2 | Bedford | New York | 17/100 | 22 | 1 |
| 3 | Litchfield | New York | 17/100 | 0 | 1 |
| 4 | Rockland | New York | 16/100 | 0 | 21 |
| 5 | New York | New York | 14/100 | 0 | 151 |
| 6 | Suffolk | New York | 13/100 | 0 | 95 |
| 7 | Westchester | New York | 13/100 | 0 | 69 |
| 8 | Sullivan | New York | 12/100 | 3 | 59 |
| 9 | Kings | New York | 11/100 | 1 | 52 |
| 10 | Columbia | New York | 11/100 | 1 | 60 |
| 11 | Nassau | New York | 11/100 | 1 | 108 |
| 12 | Dutchess | New York | 11/100 | 1 | 45 |
| 13 | Ulster | New York | 11/100 | 1 | 55 |
| 14 | Putnam | New York | 11/100 | 0 | 15 |
| 15 | Lebanon | New York | 11/100 | 0 | 1 |
| 16 | Queens | New York | 10/100 | 1 | 9 |
| 17 | Chautauqua | New York | 9/100 | 2 | 78 |
| 18 | Tompkins | New York | 9/100 | 0 | 20 |
| 19 | Chemung | New York | 9/100 | 0 | 31 |
| 20 | Rensselaer | New York | 9/100 | 0 | 36 |
| 21 | Clinton | New York | 8/100 | 1 | 64 |
| 22 | Delaware | New York | 8/100 | 0 | 37 |
| 23 | Washington | New York | 8/100 | 0 | 19 |
| 24 | Cattaraugus | New York | 8/100 | 0 | 41 |
| 25 | Albany | New York | 7/100 | 4 | 81 |
| 26 | Cortland | New York | 7/100 | 3 | 20 |
| 27 | Erie | New York | 7/100 | 3 | 80 |
| 28 | Greene | New York | 7/100 | 1 | 33 |
| 29 | Broome | New York | 7/100 | 0 | 30 |
| 30 | Otsego | New York | 7/100 | 0 | 30 |
| 31 | Chenango | New York | 7/100 | 0 | 19 |
| 32 | Tioga | New York | 7/100 | 0 | 12 |
| 33 | Steuben | New York | 7/100 | 0 | 29 |
| 34 | Allegany | New York | 7/100 | 0 | 25 |
| 35 | Schuyler | New York | 7/100 | 0 | 14 |
| 36 | Saratoga | New York | 6/100 | 4 | 22 |
| 37 | Schoharie | New York | 6/100 | 0 | 22 |
| 38 | Schenectady | New York | 6/100 | 0 | 13 |
| 39 | Wyoming | New York | 6/100 | 0 | 19 |
| 40 | Madison | New York | 5/100 | 3 | 25 |
| 41 | Essex | New York | 5/100 | 0 | 32 |
| 42 | Livingston | New York | 5/100 | 0 | 26 |
| 43 | Fulton | New York | 4/100 | 1 | 10 |
| 44 | Montgomery | New York | 4/100 | 0 | 9 |
| 45 | Genesee | New York | 4/100 | 0 | 14 |
| 46 | Niagara | New York | 4/100 | 0 | 23 |
| 47 | Warren | New York | 3/100 | 0 | 22 |
| 48 | Yates | New York | 3/100 | 0 | 8 |
| 49 | Herkimer | New York | 2/100 | 41 | 20 |
| 50 | Onondaga | New York | 2/100 | 4 | 62 |
| 51 | Cayuga | New York | 2/100 | 0 | 21 |
| 52 | Oneida | New York | 2/100 | 0 | 52 |
| 53 | Seneca | New York | 2/100 | 0 | 8 |
| 54 | Franklin | New York | 1/100 | 0 | 22 |
| 55 | St. Lawrence | New York | 1/100 | 0 | 45 |
| 56 | Oswego | New York | 1/100 | 0 | 24 |
| 57 | Wayne | New York | 1/100 | 0 | 22 |
| 58 | Lewis | New York | 1/100 | 0 | 18 |
| 59 | Jefferson | New York | 1/100 | 0 | 41 |
| 60 | Orleans | New York | 1/100 | 0 | 11 |
| 61 | Monroe | New York | 1/100 | 0 | 56 |
| 62 | Ontario | New York | 1/100 | 0 | 19 |
Methodology
County rankings for New York 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.