A study comparing the performance of major cities in the United States across 27 indicators to assess residential fire risk, including wildfire risk, drought conditions, firefighter availability, proportion of residences using gas heating, average house age, and population density, has been conducted.
According to the latest research from the household service website “Home Gnome,” the top three cities most vulnerable to fire impact in the United States are Pomona in Southern California, Detroit in Michigan, and El Paso in Texas.
In the ranking of “American Cities with the Highest Residential Fire Risk in 2025,” several cities from California and Texas made it into the top 20.
Among the list of 200 cities, 11 cities from California made it to the top 20. Besides Pomona, other cities included Oxnard (4th), Glendale (7th), Santa Clarita (10th), Visalia (11th), and Lancaster (13th). Cities ranked 16th to 20th include Palm Valley, Torrance, Long Beach, Cucamonga, and Fontana.
Texas had four cities in the top 15, including El Paso, Amarillo, Lubbock, and Pasadena.
Kimberly Magerl, an analyst at “Home Gnome,” told the media, “It is not surprising to see many Western cities on the list, given the dry landscapes that create wildfire risks, along with considering the availability of firefighting services in these regions.”
Magerl noted that this is the company’s first study of this kind, stating, “We believe the timing is right, given the current situation in California, and we hope to assist homeowners across America in effectively protecting themselves in the event of a fire.”
She highlighted that simple preventive measures such as installing smoke alarms, keeping small heaters away from flammable materials, ensuring fireplaces are constantly monitored, and being cautious while cooking can effectively reduce the risk of residential fires.
Magerl also mentioned, “Homeowners should avoid overloading circuits and using too many electrical appliances simultaneously, as this could also lead to fires.”
While Pomona, the city with the highest residential fire risk in the United States, ranks 12th in wildfire risk nationwide, the study found that the city lacks fire engineering companies, chimney cleaning services, and home repair services. Additionally, like 24 other cities in California, the city faces severe traffic congestion issues.
Detroit ranks second mainly due to its high residential fire incidence rate over the past five years, along with a lack of smoke alarms in residences. The median house age in Detroit is 76 years, with 84% of households using gas heating.
Cities that made it into the top 20 also include Wichita in Kansas, Tulsa in Oklahoma, Kansas City in Kansas, and Paterson in New Jersey.
Anne Russell, president of the Greater Los Angeles Real Estate Association, stated that the report came as no surprise, citing the recent month-long wildfire that ravaged 57,000 acres of land in Southern California, causing extensive damage to homes.
She mentioned, “Many former homeowners have already left the area, with some even moving out of California. One of my clients relocated to Washington, unsure if they will return to California. Through the Ring Doorbell app, he witnessed his home turning to ashes.”
Russell pointed out that other former homeowners have temporarily evacuated, contemplating whether to rebuild or sell the land and move elsewhere.
“The larger concern is that most of this land has become extremely toxic, requiring several months to clean up. Incidents like electric car battery melting into the land have occurred,” she stated.
Local real estate agents who initially focused on areas devastated by fires are now seeking business opportunities in other regions. Meanwhile, those wishing to stay in the area face rising rents and insurance costs.
Recently, Russell assisted a client in securing insurance for an apartment in Beverly Hills. However, the lending institution reviewing the complex’s main insurance deemed it insufficient, resulting in the loan being denied.
Russell noted, “First-time homebuyers are the most affected as they now have to compete with those forced to relocate.”
According to data from the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), fire departments nationwide handled nearly 1.4 million fire incidents in 2023. These fires resulted in over 3,600 deaths and $23 billion in losses. Around 25% of the fires occurred in residential structures, including single-family homes, multi-family residences, and apartments.
The NFPA website states, “In 2023, a fire department responded to a fire every 23 seconds on average. Every 2 hours and 23 minutes, a civilian died in a fire. Every 39 minutes, a civilian suffered a non-fatal fire injury.”
NFPA points out that non-residential buildings (such as hotels, motels, or dormitories) and non-residential real estate (like schools, institutions, retail, office, or manufacturing facilities) usually face more regulation than residential properties.
Surprisingly, Sacramento was rated as the city with the lowest residential fire risk in 2025. The city has the highest number of fire stations per 100,000 residents and the highest number of professional firefighters per 100,000 households.
Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania was ranked as the second safest city, followed by Madison in Wisconsin, Honolulu in Hawaii, and Alexandria in Virginia. Additionally, Irvine in California was named the seventh safest city in the United States, and three Texas cities – Dallas, Houston, and Laredo also made it to the top 20 safest cities in America.
Despite being ranked only 39th in the list of safest cities, New York City has the most fire alarm system companies and fire protection services in the entire country.
As cleanup efforts continue in California following the January wildfires, rescue teams are still dedicated to supporting homeowners who have lost everything. The Real Estate Brokers Relief Foundation of the National Association of Realtors has pledged $1 million in donations to aid those affected, while the California Association of Realtors also offers various grant programs.
“The rebuilding process here will take a long time, but the goal is to rebuild homes with non-combustible materials,” Russell said, “In times of need, the tight-knit unity of the people here is admirable. It demonstrates Californians’ resilience in the face of disasters.”