The U.S. wildfire outlook for 2022 is projected to be similar to 2020 and 2021, which saw some of the most wildfire damage on record, according to Zesty.ai, which noted the four-month wildfire season is now a year-round occurrence. Zesty.ai reported that the past 10 years have been the worst on record for P&C insurers when it comes to wildfire losses. In California, which has the largest share of wildfire risk, eight of the top 20 largest fires on record occurred from 2020-2021, according to Zesty.ai. Further, over half of the acreage burned in the top 20 California wildfires occurred during those two years. The majority of the damage can be attributed to drought and dry conditions, which help vegetation become fuel. Drought patterns in states prone to wildfire risks are similar to those seen in previous years, but with fewer sections with "extreme" or "exceptional" drought this year. The above slideshow reviews the states that are seeing growing wildfire risks because of drought and dry conditions, according to Zesty.ai.

How vegetation factors in

Droughts tend to drive macro-level wildfire risk, according to Zesty.ai, which notes aspects such as a property's land slope, local wildfire history, historical weather, type of local vegetation, distance to fire stations and building materials all play a role. However, vegetation management has the largest impact on a structure's wildfire risk. Research from Zesty.ai and the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety found that when property owners clear vegetation from a structure's perimeter, they can double the building's likelihood of surviving a wildfire. Conversely, buildings with high amounts of vegetation within a five-foot perimeter were destroyed in a wildfire 78% of the time. [caption id="attachment_223267" align="aligncenter" width="600"]Chart showing effectiveness of wildfire mitigation strategies. (Credit: Zesty.ai) (Credit: Zesty.ai)[/caption] Related:

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Steve Hallo

Steve Hallo is managing editor of PropertyCasualty360.com. He can be reached at [email protected]

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