Out of 71 counties with wildfire data, these are the counties with the highest smoke exposure risk.
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Counties ranked | 71 |
| Avg smoke risk (top 100) | 14/100 |
| Total county fires 5yr (top 100) | 1,819 |
Top 71 Counties
| Rank | County | State | Smoke Risk | County Fires (5yr) | ZIP Codes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Burnett | Wisconsin | 32/100 | 61 | 4 |
| 2 | Douglas | Wisconsin | 29/100 | 34 | 10 |
| 3 | Washburn | Wisconsin | 27/100 | 61 | 7 |
| 4 | Sawyer | Wisconsin | 27/100 | 44 | 9 |
| 5 | Bayfield | Wisconsin | 26/100 | 57 | 12 |
| 6 | Green Lake | Wisconsin | 24/100 | 14 | 7 |
| 7 | Waushara | Wisconsin | 23/100 | 32 | 10 |
| 8 | Juneau | Wisconsin | 22/100 | 64 | 9 |
| 9 | Adams | Wisconsin | 22/100 | 44 | 8 |
| 10 | Ashland | Wisconsin | 21/100 | 57 | 9 |
| 11 | Winnebago | Wisconsin | 21/100 | 23 | 15 |
| 12 | Polk | Wisconsin | 21/100 | 14 | 13 |
| 13 | Wood | Wisconsin | 21/100 | 11 | 15 |
| 14 | Price | Wisconsin | 20/100 | 77 | 6 |
| 15 | Marquette | Wisconsin | 20/100 | 10 | 4 |
| 16 | Fond du Lac | Wisconsin | 20/100 | 1 | 18 |
| 17 | Rusk | Wisconsin | 19/100 | 77 | 9 |
| 18 | Monroe | Wisconsin | 19/100 | 64 | 12 |
| 19 | Vilas | Wisconsin | 18/100 | 33 | 6 |
| 20 | Oconto | Wisconsin | 17/100 | 138 | 12 |
| 21 | Barron | Wisconsin | 17/100 | 34 | 16 |
| 22 | Oneida | Wisconsin | 17/100 | 33 | 11 |
| 23 | Waupaca | Wisconsin | 17/100 | 23 | 14 |
| 24 | Columbia | Wisconsin | 16/100 | 46 | 13 |
| 25 | Marinette | Wisconsin | 16/100 | 37 | 13 |
| 26 | Iron | Wisconsin | 16/100 | 33 | 9 |
| 27 | Forest | Wisconsin | 15/100 | 138 | 7 |
| 28 | Lincoln | Wisconsin | 15/100 | 29 | 6 |
| 29 | Dodge | Wisconsin | 15/100 | 14 | 21 |
| 30 | Portage | Wisconsin | 15/100 | 14 | 9 |
| 31 | Sauk | Wisconsin | 14/100 | 39 | 13 |
| 32 | Jackson | Wisconsin | 14/100 | 15 | 6 |
| 33 | Calumet | Wisconsin | 14/100 | 1 | 11 |
| 34 | Taylor | Wisconsin | 13/100 | 77 | 8 |
| 35 | Clark | Wisconsin | 13/100 | 30 | 15 |
| 36 | Langlade | Wisconsin | 13/100 | 29 | 9 |
| 37 | Shawano | Wisconsin | 13/100 | 23 | 19 |
| 38 | Washington | Wisconsin | 13/100 | 4 | 10 |
| 39 | Outagamie | Wisconsin | 13/100 | 1 | 17 |
| 40 | Vernon | Wisconsin | 13/100 | 0 | 11 |
| 41 | Richland | Wisconsin | 12/100 | 39 | 8 |
| 42 | Marathon | Wisconsin | 12/100 | 21 | 17 |
| 43 | Brown | Wisconsin | 12/100 | 15 | 22 |
| 44 | Dane | Wisconsin | 12/100 | 11 | 58 |
| 45 | St. Croix | Wisconsin | 12/100 | 4 | 13 |
| 46 | Sheboygan | Wisconsin | 12/100 | 1 | 15 |
| 47 | Door | Wisconsin | 12/100 | 0 | 12 |
| 48 | La Crosse | Wisconsin | 12/100 | 0 | 10 |
| 49 | Florence | Wisconsin | 11/100 | 19 | 2 |
| 50 | Chippewa | Wisconsin | 11/100 | 17 | 11 |
| 51 | Manitowoc | Wisconsin | 11/100 | 3 | 16 |
| 52 | Trempealeau | Wisconsin | 11/100 | 2 | 11 |
| 53 | Ozaukee | Wisconsin | 11/100 | 1 | 9 |
| 54 | Jefferson | Wisconsin | 9/100 | 4 | 13 |
| 55 | Pierce | Wisconsin | 9/100 | 2 | 10 |
| 56 | Waukesha | Wisconsin | 9/100 | 1 | 32 |
| 57 | Crawford | Wisconsin | 8/100 | 22 | 11 |
| 58 | Eau Claire | Wisconsin | 8/100 | 16 | 8 |
| 59 | Dunn | Wisconsin | 8/100 | 2 | 8 |
| 60 | Kewaunee | Wisconsin | 8/100 | 1 | 3 |
| 61 | Iowa | Wisconsin | 7/100 | 14 | 14 |
| 62 | Grant | Wisconsin | 7/100 | 7 | 20 |
| 63 | Kenosha | Wisconsin | 7/100 | 1 | 21 |
| 64 | Walworth | Wisconsin | 7/100 | 1 | 15 |
| 65 | Rock | Wisconsin | 7/100 | 1 | 15 |
| 66 | Milwaukee | Wisconsin | 7/100 | 0 | 48 |
| 67 | Green | Wisconsin | 7/100 | 0 | 6 |
| 68 | Racine | Wisconsin | 6/100 | 77 | 18 |
| 69 | Pepin | Wisconsin | 6/100 | 1 | 4 |
| 70 | Lafayette | Wisconsin | 6/100 | 0 | 9 |
| 71 | Buffalo | Wisconsin | 6/100 | 0 | 6 |
Methodology
County rankings for Wisconsin 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.