Fire risks (Los Angeles, San Diego, Sacramento: insurance, how much, homes)

[55degrees]

I’m sorry that this is probably a really stupid question. We are considering moving to Sacramento from out of state. We’ve never lived anywhere that had wild fire issues. How much of a concern ar wildfires in the Sacramento Metro area ? Especially the more suburban areas like Roseville? Thank you!

[Chimérique]

Anywhere that is hilly, or mountainous, and/or heavily forested is in high danger of wildfire in California.

More than half of the Sacramento Metro is not hilly, so traditionally we have been a lower risk compared to most of California. However, part of the Sacramento Metro like Roseville and Folsom are hilly, so they will have a much higher wildfire risk.

Overall, wildfire is a huge risk all over California, from urban areas to suburban areas, to rural areas. Huge fires have destroyed huge parts of San Diego, Oakland, Los Angeles, Orange County, Northern Bay Area, and numerous small rural towns.

Sacramento and the larger Metro area has NOT experienced a devastating major wildfire, yet. Hopefully, it never will.

[semispherical]

You can check the fire risk maps (https://osfm.fire.ca.gov/divisions/w...ty-zones-maps/) or ask local insurance agents.

In general, wildfire risk will be low within incorporated areas (including Roseville). If you want to be extra careful, avoid properties adjoining neglected brushy, steep terrain.

You WILL get heavy smoke coverage periodically throughout the fire season anywhere in the valley, depending on where the fires are and which way the wind is blowing.

[shelato]

The big issues with fires are both the specific location of your house, but also the quality of the local firefighters. There is an area that is referred to as the urban rural interface. These are the areas that surround the larger cities but are usually not incorporated yet into a bigger city. I have friends who live up in Pollock Pines. They rely on a volunteer firefighters. He said that the local volunteer firefighters group warned him and his neighbors that if they don't maintain and keep clear a defensible space around their home, the volunteer fire fighters might not actually bother to defend their homes. He was worried, that his neighbor who was retired and sick wasn't taking care of his place and whether that would mean that, the local volunteer firefighters wouldn't protect his property either, so him and his other neighbor, ended up clearing the property around his sick neighbors home. Part of that was being a good neighbor, but part of it was self preservation.

In the larger more urban areas, there are actual professional firefighters that are paid for with your property taxes. So the firefighters here are more professional and better trained and better equipped. But also there is less of an urban rural interface. You live in homes, next door to other homes where people have landscaped and irrigated yards and the green grass or your backyard pool aren't the same fire risk as chaparral that has dried out from no summer time rain since last April.

[55degrees]

Wow! Didn’t think of firefighters being different in different areas!

Thanks everyone for your comments!