A new wildfire risk map developed by researchers at the University of California, Irvine identifies the environmental and structural factors that make buildings most vulnerable to wildfire damage across California. The resulting wildfire risk map integrates these variables into a machine learning framework that estimates the probability of building damage across the entire state. In California, over 80% of new homes constructed between 2020 and 2022 were built in areas already considered to face high wildfire risk. High-resolution wildfire risk map supports preventionTo translate these findings into a practical planning tool, the team created the Wildfire Building Damage Risk Index (WBDRI), a continuous wildfire risk map covering the whole of California at a resolution of 100 metres. Supporting long-term wildfire resilienceThe researchers believe the wildfire risk map has applications far beyond emergency response.