Life in some of the most expensive counties in the U.S. is getting more expensive due to the fiery effects of climate change.

What’s happening?

Data from wildfire risk modeler Cotality shows nearly every home along the Sonoma County coast is considered high risk for wildfire, reported the San Francisco Chronicle in early September.

Thousands more properties in the Santa Cruz Mountains and 238 homes in San Francisco fall within the danger zone. These scores are calculated by insurers to reshape who gets covered and at what price.

This new information also takes into account the different ways that wildfires can spread in more urban environments.

The Chronicle explained that “a retrospective analysis of the Los Angeles County wildfires found that the vast majority of destroyed structures in the Eaton Fire had low wildfire risk scores, but ranked high in conflagration risk — a new measure Cotality introduced in the wake of the 2023 Lahaina fire and the Los Angeles blazes.”

Why are home insurance rates important?

Besides making a major impact on homeowners’ wallets, the wildfires are also another sign of how burning fossil fuels has destabilized the climate. Hotter temperatures, longer droughts, and more erratic winds are creating conditions for megafires.

Insurance companies, facing record losses, are pulling back coverage in high-risk zones, leaving homeowners stranded. What used to be a seasonal worry is now a year-round reality that carries financial consequences, deepening inequality in already costly housing markets.

What’s being done about extreme weather events?

While blazing megafires are certainly not going to stop until the warming of our planet slows considerably, it’s important to remember that small, practical efforts can also make a difference.

Homeowners can create defensible space and harden houses to win back coverage.

“It’s important to understand that homeowners can make differences at their house that can make their homes more resilient to wildfires,” said Jamie Knippen, Cotality’s senior product manager for wildfire solutions, per the Chronicle. “The biggest one is defensible space, Zone Zero, clearing out all vegetation within 0 to 5 feet of your property, getting rid of the pretty flowers — ultimately, it could save your home.”

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