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Wildfire Risk Assessment for Farms

A wildfire risk assessment is a structured look at your land, buildings, vegetation and access. It helps you decide what to fix first, and it gives your fire department useful information.

What is a wildfire risk assessment?

It is a review of the factors that affect how a wildfire might behave on your farm and how it could affect you. These factors include vegetation, terrain, weather patterns, buildings, roads, water and the response available.

Some state forestry agencies, fire departments and organizations such as NFPA offer checklists or visits. Ask which are available where you live.

Fire departments sometimes hold meetings after large incidents. Attend them to learn what worked and what could be improved in your area. Doing it once a year, with a notebook and a camera, is enough to start, and it gives you a record to compare against next time. Bring a family member or worker along, because a second pair of eyes often catches what you miss.

• Look at fuel, terrain and weather
• Look at buildings and access
• Check for free local resources

What should I look at on the land?

Note where dry grass, brush, trees, crop residue, hay and stored materials are, and how they connect to your buildings. Look at slopes, which can speed fire uphill, and at wind patterns around ridges and tree lines.

Walk the property during a dry season, if you can safely, to see what a fire would find. Take photos and notes.

Offer to share your own lessons, including mistakes. Responders learn from landowners too, and other farms may benefit from what you found.

• Vegetation and its continuity
• Slopes and wind
• Hay, wood and stored materials

What should I look at on the buildings?

Look at roofs, vents, gutters, decks, fences, woodpiles, fuel tanks and anything that can catch embers. Embers often start fires on buildings before flames arrive. Your fire department or forestry agency can tell you what matters most.

Think about livestock buildings, hay barns, shops and homes separately.

Include a look at power lines, nearby roads and railroads, which are common ignition sources. Report hazards, such as trees touching lines, to the utility rather than handling them yourself.

• Roofs, vents and gutters
• Woodpiles and fuel tanks
• Fences and decks

What about access and water?

Can a fire truck reach each building? Are lanes wide, gates easy to open and bridges strong? Are there ponds, tanks or hydrants, and can trucks use them? Is the address visible?

Talk to your fire department about what they would need. They may spot problems you have not noticed.

Take weather into account. Hot, dry and windy days raise risk in nearly every area, and the National Weather Service issues fire weather alerts you can follow.

• Lane width and gates
• Water sources and access
• Address and signage

How do I set priorities?

You do not need to fix everything at once. List the items and rank them by how likely they are to matter and how easy they are to fix. Start with the cheap and simple, such as clearing debris, then plan larger projects.

Ask your agency or department to help you rank. Their view of local fire behavior is valuable.

Check your insurance coverage and ask what the insurer expects for wildfire risk. Some offer assessments or discounts for mitigation steps, but do not assume, so ask directly.

• List and rank findings
• Start with simple fixes
• Plan larger projects over time

How should I plan for evacuation?

Decide where you will go, how you will get people and animals out, and what you will take. Plan more than one route. Keep emergency kits ready and learn how your county sends alerts. Sign up for local alerts through your county emergency office.

Evacuating livestock takes time, so decide in advance what you will do and do not wait until a fire is close.

Involve everyone who works on the farm. Workers often notice problems you do not, and they need to know the evacuation plan too.

• Plan two routes
• Sign up for alerts
• Plan for animals early

When should I repeat the assessment?

Repeat it every year and after any big change such as new buildings, a drought, a storm or a fire nearby. Update your notes and share them with your fire department.

A good assessment is a living document.

Keep a folder with your assessment, photos, maps and important papers where you can grab it fast. Photograph key features such as gates, lanes, and buildings, and keep the pictures with your plan. Updated photos help you see changes over time and help responders who have never been on your farm.

Last reviewed: November 12, 2026. Written by the Farm Safety Editorial Team. See our editorial policy.