Out of 2,902 counties with wildfire data, these are the counties with the lowest smoke exposure risk.
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Counties ranked | 2,902 |
| Avg smoke risk (top 100) | 0/100 |
| Total county fires 5yr (top 100) | 239 |
Top 100 Counties
| Rank | County | State | Smoke Risk | County Fires (5yr) | ZIP Codes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hamilton | New York | 0/100 | 0 | 11 |
| 2 | Erie | Ohio | 0/100 | 0 | 14 |
| 3 | Marion | Ohio | 0/100 | 0 | 8 |
| 4 | Wyandot | Ohio | 0/100 | 0 | 10 |
| 5 | Crawford | Ohio | 0/100 | 0 | 9 |
| 6 | Hardin | Ohio | 0/100 | 0 | 8 |
| 7 | Wood | Ohio | 0/100 | 0 | 22 |
| 8 | Seneca | Ohio | 0/100 | 0 | 12 |
| 9 | Ottawa | Ohio | 0/100 | 0 | 12 |
| 10 | Hancock | Ohio | 0/100 | 0 | 14 |
| 11 | Defiance | Ohio | 0/100 | 0 | 8 |
| 12 | Shelby | Ohio | 0/100 | 0 | 14 |
| 13 | Darke | Ohio | 0/100 | 0 | 11 |
| 14 | Miami | Ohio | 0/100 | 0 | 16 |
| 15 | Allen | Ohio | 0/100 | 0 | 16 |
| 16 | Paulding | Ohio | 0/100 | 0 | 6 |
| 17 | Putnam | Ohio | 0/100 | 0 | 14 |
| 18 | Auglaize | Ohio | 0/100 | 0 | 9 |
| 19 | Mercer | Ohio | 0/100 | 0 | 8 |
| 20 | Van Wert | Ohio | 0/100 | 0 | 7 |
| 21 | Rush | Indiana | 0/100 | 0 | 4 |
| 22 | Shelby | Indiana | 0/100 | 0 | 8 |
| 23 | Henry | Indiana | 0/100 | 0 | 17 |
| 24 | Hancock | Indiana | 0/100 | 0 | 4 |
| 25 | Decatur | Indiana | 0/100 | 0 | 6 |
| 26 | Adams | Indiana | 0/100 | 0 | 8 |
| 27 | Union | Indiana | 0/100 | 0 | 4 |
| 28 | Washington | Indiana | 0/100 | 0 | 3 |
| 29 | Wayne | Indiana | 0/100 | 0 | 16 |
| 30 | Randolph | Indiana | 0/100 | 0 | 10 |
| 31 | Jay | Indiana | 0/100 | 0 | 4 |
| 32 | Henry | Illinois | 0/100 | 0 | 14 |
| 33 | McDonough | Illinois | 0/100 | 0 | 11 |
| 34 | Warren | Illinois | 0/100 | 0 | 6 |
| 35 | Henderson | Illinois | 0/100 | 0 | 8 |
| 36 | Stark | Illinois | 0/100 | 0 | 5 |
| 37 | Hancock | Illinois | 0/100 | 0 | 18 |
| 38 | Clark | Missouri | 0/100 | 0 | 9 |
| 39 | Shelby | Missouri | 0/100 | 0 | 9 |
| 40 | Scotland | Missouri | 0/100 | 0 | 3 |
| 41 | Knox | Missouri | 0/100 | 0 | 5 |
| 42 | Hoonah-Angoon | Alaska | 0/100 | 0 | 3 |
| 43 | Ketchikan Gateway | Alaska | 0/100 | 0 | 3 |
| 44 | Richland | Ohio | 0/100 | 1 | 17 |
| 45 | Lorain | Ohio | 0/100 | 1 | 16 |
| 46 | Cuyahoga | Ohio | 0/100 | 1 | 60 |
| 47 | Jackson | Indiana | 0/100 | 1 | 9 |
| 48 | Aleutians East | Alaska | 0/100 | 1 | 5 |
| 49 | Brown | Indiana | 0/100 | 2 | 5 |
| 50 | Huron | Ohio | 0/100 | 4 | 16 |
| 51 | Wayne | Ohio | 0/100 | 4 | 16 |
| 52 | Summit | Ohio | 0/100 | 4 | 43 |
| 53 | Medina | Ohio | 0/100 | 4 | 17 |
| 54 | Juneau City and | Alaska | 0/100 | 5 | 6 |
| 55 | Prince of Wales-Hyder | Alaska | 0/100 | 5 | 7 |
| 56 | Franklin | New York | 1/100 | 0 | 22 |
| 57 | St. Lawrence | New York | 1/100 | 0 | 45 |
| 58 | Oswego | New York | 1/100 | 0 | 24 |
| 59 | Wayne | New York | 1/100 | 0 | 22 |
| 60 | Lewis | New York | 1/100 | 0 | 18 |
| 61 | Jefferson | New York | 1/100 | 0 | 41 |
| 62 | Orleans | New York | 1/100 | 0 | 11 |
| 63 | Monroe | New York | 1/100 | 0 | 56 |
| 64 | Ontario | New York | 1/100 | 0 | 19 |
| 65 | Logan | Ohio | 1/100 | 0 | 19 |
| 66 | Sandusky | Ohio | 1/100 | 0 | 8 |
| 67 | Ashland | Ohio | 1/100 | 0 | 10 |
| 68 | Preble | Ohio | 1/100 | 0 | 12 |
| 69 | Johnson | Indiana | 1/100 | 0 | 7 |
| 70 | Delaware | Indiana | 1/100 | 0 | 15 |
| 71 | Fayette | Indiana | 1/100 | 0 | 3 |
| 72 | Marion | Indiana | 1/100 | 0 | 60 |
| 73 | Blackford | Indiana | 1/100 | 0 | 5 |
| 74 | Franklin | Indiana | 1/100 | 0 | 6 |
| 75 | Bartholomew | Indiana | 1/100 | 0 | 10 |
| 76 | Jennings | Indiana | 1/100 | 0 | 8 |
| 77 | Mahaska | Iowa | 1/100 | 0 | 7 |
| 78 | Clinton | Iowa | 1/100 | 0 | 18 |
| 79 | Jones | Iowa | 1/100 | 0 | 10 |
| 80 | Cedar | Iowa | 1/100 | 0 | 8 |
| 81 | Wapello | Iowa | 1/100 | 0 | 7 |
| 82 | Van Buren | Iowa | 1/100 | 0 | 9 |
| 83 | Davis | Iowa | 1/100 | 0 | 4 |
| 84 | Scott | Iowa | 1/100 | 0 | 22 |
| 85 | Whiteside | Illinois | 1/100 | 0 | 13 |
| 86 | Rock Island | Illinois | 1/100 | 0 | 21 |
| 87 | Knox | Illinois | 1/100 | 0 | 20 |
| 88 | Adams | Illinois | 1/100 | 0 | 19 |
| 89 | Adair | Missouri | 1/100 | 0 | 4 |
| 90 | Schuyler | Missouri | 1/100 | 0 | 8 |
| 91 | Ripley | Indiana | 1/100 | 2 | 10 |
| 92 | Carroll | Illinois | 1/100 | 4 | 7 |
| 93 | Lewis | Missouri | 1/100 | 23 | 10 |
| 94 | Hancock | Maine | 1/100 | 55 | 47 |
| 95 | Aroostook | Maine | 1/100 | 61 | 41 |
| 96 | Washington | Maine | 1/100 | 61 | 36 |
| 97 | Cayuga | New York | 2/100 | 0 | 21 |
| 98 | Oneida | New York | 2/100 | 0 | 52 |
| 99 | Seneca | New York | 2/100 | 0 | 8 |
| 100 | Williams | Ohio | 2/100 | 0 | 9 |
Methodology
Safest county rankings show areas with minimal wildfire activity and lowest smoke risk scores. Counties must have at least 3 ZIP codes with data to qualify.
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.