Out of 3,162 counties with wildfire data, these are the counties with the highest smoke exposure risk.
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Counties ranked | 3,162 |
| Avg smoke risk (top 100) | 53/100 |
| Total county fires 5yr (top 100) | 7,180 |
Top 100 Counties
| Rank | County | State | Smoke Risk | County Fires (since 2021) | ZIP Codes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Riverside | California | 96/100 | 157 | 101 |
| 2 | Los Angeles | California | 88/100 | 117 | 459 |
| 3 | San Diego | California | 83/100 | 170 | 187 |
| 4 | Gila | Arizona | 77/100 | 172 | 15 |
| 5 | San Bernardino | California | 77/100 | 150 | 114 |
| 6 | Navajo | Arizona | 76/100 | 63 | 21 |
| 7 | Yavapai | Arizona | 74/100 | 126 | 34 |
| 8 | Pima | Arizona | 69/100 | 78 | 72 |
| 9 | Inyo | California | 66/100 | 150 | 42 |
| 10 | Kern | California | 65/100 | 298 | 102 |
| 11 | Madera | California | 65/100 | 157 | 16 |
| 12 | Coconino | Arizona | 64/100 | 167 | 36 |
| 13 | Miami-Dade | Florida | 63/100 | 96 | 131 |
| 14 | Marion | Florida | 61/100 | 125 | 37 |
| 15 | Collier | Florida | 60/100 | 121 | 28 |
| 16 | Washington | Utah | 59/100 | 77 | 22 |
| 17 | Tuolumne | California | 59/100 | 58 | 16 |
| 18 | Maricopa | Arizona | 58/100 | 124 | 197 |
| 19 | Mariposa | California | 58/100 | 58 | 6 |
| 20 | Otero | New Mexico | 57/100 | 28 | 15 |
| 21 | Mohave | Arizona | 55/100 | 113 | 28 |
| 22 | Volusia | Florida | 55/100 | 14 | 48 |
| 23 | Oglala Lakota | South Dakota | 54/100 | 129 | 1 |
| 24 | Okanogan | Washington | 53/100 | 126 | 20 |
| 25 | Chelan | Washington | 53/100 | 86 | 13 |
| 26 | Calaveras | California | 53/100 | 12 | 16 |
| 27 | Atlantic | Utah | 53/100 | 4 | 1 |
| 28 | Lee | Florida | 53/100 | 1 | 49 |
| 29 | Washoe | Nevada | 52/100 | 160 | 38 |
| 30 | Yakima | Washington | 52/100 | 105 | 26 |
| 31 | Siskiyou | California | 52/100 | 102 | 19 |
| 32 | Ventura | California | 52/100 | 54 | 44 |
| 33 | Santa Cruz | Arizona | 52/100 | 53 | 8 |
| 34 | Shasta | California | 52/100 | 37 | 31 |
| 35 | Valley | Idaho | 51/100 | 182 | 5 |
| 36 | Cochise | Arizona | 51/100 | 140 | 29 |
| 37 | Clark | Nevada | 51/100 | 125 | 125 |
| 38 | Pinal | Arizona | 51/100 | 124 | 48 |
| 39 | Ravalli | Montana | 51/100 | 34 | 9 |
| 40 | Grant | New Mexico | 51/100 | 34 | 18 |
| 41 | Broward | Florida | 51/100 | 7 | 85 |
| 42 | Lake | Florida | 50/100 | 125 | 36 |
| 43 | Butte | California | 50/100 | 117 | 29 |
| 44 | Plumas | California | 50/100 | 101 | 14 |
| 45 | Fresno | California | 50/100 | 41 | 102 |
| 46 | Lincoln | New Mexico | 50/100 | 28 | 18 |
| 47 | Brevard | Florida | 50/100 | 11 | 46 |
| 48 | Orange | California | 50/100 | 6 | 143 |
| 49 | Lake | California | 50/100 | 6 | 21 |
| 50 | Idaho | Idaho | 49/100 | 182 | 13 |
| 51 | Apache | Arizona | 49/100 | 167 | 33 |
| 52 | Josephine | Oregon | 49/100 | 114 | 10 |
| 53 | Wasco | Oregon | 49/100 | 50 | 8 |
| 54 | Trinity | California | 49/100 | 48 | 10 |
| 55 | Nevada | California | 49/100 | 16 | 14 |
| 56 | Monterey | California | 49/100 | 6 | 36 |
| 57 | Jackson | Oregon | 48/100 | 161 | 16 |
| 58 | Harrison | Mississippi | 48/100 | 67 | 17 |
| 59 | Tulare | California | 48/100 | 41 | 36 |
| 60 | Adams | Idaho | 48/100 | 37 | 5 |
| 61 | Pittsburg | Oklahoma | 48/100 | 15 | 17 |
| 62 | Llano | Texas | 48/100 | 11 | 6 |
| 63 | Douglas | Nevada | 47/100 | 160 | 11 |
| 64 | Catron | New Mexico | 47/100 | 79 | 7 |
| 65 | Deschutes | Oregon | 47/100 | 68 | 12 |
| 66 | Kittitas | Washington | 47/100 | 65 | 10 |
| 67 | Hutchinson | Texas | 47/100 | 46 | 5 |
| 68 | Jefferson | Oregon | 47/100 | 46 | 3 |
| 69 | Boise | Idaho | 47/100 | 44 | 8 |
| 70 | Potter | Texas | 47/100 | 34 | 22 |
| 71 | Taylor | Texas | 47/100 | 21 | 21 |
| 72 | Santa Fe | New Mexico | 47/100 | 18 | 23 |
| 73 | Polk | Florida | 47/100 | 11 | 53 |
| 74 | Mora | New Mexico | 47/100 | 9 | 13 |
| 75 | Shannon | South Dakota | 46/100 | 129 | 8 |
| 76 | Seminole | Oklahoma | 46/100 | 106 | 8 |
| 77 | Palm Beach | Florida | 46/100 | 96 | 72 |
| 78 | Jackson | Mississippi | 46/100 | 49 | 14 |
| 79 | Bannock | Idaho | 46/100 | 37 | 11 |
| 80 | Santa Barbara | California | 46/100 | 31 | 40 |
| 81 | Brown | Texas | 46/100 | 22 | 8 |
| 82 | El Dorado | California | 46/100 | 20 | 24 |
| 83 | Gillespie | Texas | 46/100 | 14 | 4 |
| 84 | Burnet | Texas | 46/100 | 12 | 4 |
| 85 | Flagler | Florida | 46/100 | 11 | 17 |
| 86 | Osceola | Florida | 46/100 | 11 | 11 |
| 87 | Okmulgee | Oklahoma | 46/100 | 10 | 8 |
| 88 | Colfax | New Mexico | 46/100 | 2 | 8 |
| 89 | Orange | Florida | 46/100 | 1 | 76 |
| 90 | Elko | Nevada | 45/100 | 153 | 17 |
| 91 | Putnam | Florida | 45/100 | 125 | 22 |
| 92 | Elmore | Idaho | 45/100 | 100 | 7 |
| 93 | Crook | Oregon | 45/100 | 66 | 2 |
| 94 | Gem | Idaho | 45/100 | 22 | 2 |
| 95 | Amador | California | 45/100 | 20 | 18 |
| 96 | McIntosh | Oklahoma | 45/100 | 16 | 5 |
| 97 | Kerr | Texas | 45/100 | 14 | 8 |
| 98 | Tulsa | Oklahoma | 45/100 | 10 | 63 |
| 99 | Coleman | Texas | 45/100 | 10 | 5 |
| 100 | Hendry | Florida | 45/100 | 8 | 5 |
Methodology
County rankings are based on average smoke risk score across all ZIP codes in the county, weighted by fire proximity and county fire frequency over 5 years.
Data sources: National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC), FEMA National Risk Index. Current air quality: EPA AirNow. Last updated: 2026-10-15.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is wildfire smoke risk calculated?
Smoke risk scores (0-100) are a ZipCheckup index built from the county's FEMA National Risk Index wildfire rating, the distance to recent NIFC wildfire incidents, the number of fires within 100 km and the county's fire count over the past 5 years. They do not measure smoke days or air quality; check AirNow.gov for current air quality.
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.