Hawaii wildfire risk
Hawaii is among the ten highest wildfire-hazard states in the country by FEMA's National Risk Index. This page covers what is burning right now, how hazard is distributed across the state, and what a high band does to your ability to buy homeowners insurance.
Active fires in Hawaii
Hawaii's recorded fire history
Federal perimeter records list 36 mapped wildfires in Hawaii since 2000. The largest on that record is the Luhi Fire Fire of 2003, which burned 4,943 acres.
| Fire | Year | Area burned |
|---|---|---|
| Luhi Fire Fire | 2003 | 4,943 acres |
| Kawaihae Fire | 2015 | 3,884 acres |
| Kupukupu Fire | 2002 | 3,851 acres |
| Keauhou Ranch Brush Fire Fire | 2018 | 3,787 acres |
Recorded history feeds directly into your address score: our model counts mapped burns within 25 miles of a parcel, weighted toward large ones. It is worth knowing the limitation, though — a long record of successful suppression can leave an area reading quiet while fuel accumulates, which is precisely the condition that produces the next large fire.
Where hazard concentrates in Hawaii
Wildfire hazard is not spread evenly across a state. These are the 5 counties in Hawaii with the highest wildfire risk scores in FEMA's National Risk Index, with the building value each has sitting in exposed areas.
| County | Hazard score | Building exposure |
|---|---|---|
| Honolulu County | 99.0 | $10.1B |
| Hawaii County | 98.3 | $10.2B |
| Maui County | 95.3 | $3.7B |
| Kauai County | 93.1 | $2.2B |
| Kalawao County | 19.4 | $19M |
Honolulu County carries the highest score in the state at 99.0. If your address is there, or in any of the counties above, the statewide average understates your situation considerably — which is the reason to check the parcel rather than the state.
How Hawaii ranks nationally
FEMA's National Risk Index scores every US county for expected annual wildfire loss. Across Hawaii's 5 assessed counties the average wildfire hazard score is 81.0, which places the state 10th of the 50 states. The most exposed county in Hawaii scores 99.0.
Against a 50-state average of 52.7, Hawaii sits 28.3 points above it. Rank 10 of 50. The National Risk Index blends how often wildfire is expected with how much is standing in the way, so a state can post a moderate score with severe local hazard wherever development has pushed into the wildland-urban interface.
Roughly $26.2B of building value sits inside Hawaii's wildfire-exposed areas. That figure is what drives carrier behaviour: insurers manage concentration of exposure, so a state can have modest average hazard and still see availability problems wherever that value clusters in the wildland-urban interface.
Hawaii wildfire season
Hawaii sees most wildfire activity during dry spells in spring and autumn, when cured vegetation and low humidity coincide. Activity is generally episodic rather than a sustained multi-month season.
Insurance in Hawaii
Hawaii operates a FAIR Plan or equivalent residual market, which matters because average county hazard here is high enough that admitted carriers do decline individual parcels. Residual market policies are typically restricted in what they cover, so check whether you need a separate policy alongside it for liability and theft.
Residual-market availability and the rules governing it change. Confirm the current position with the Hawaii Department of Insurance before you rely on it.
Whatever the market looks like in your area, the sequence is the same: document mitigation before your renewal date, work with an independent broker who can access surplus lines, and ask directly whether the carrier credits wildfire mitigation. The full fire insurance guide covers non-renewal, FAIR Plans and difference-in-conditions wraps in detail.
Lowering your risk in Hawaii
The two changes with the best return anywhere in the country are clearing the first five feet around the structure to non-combustible material, and screening vents against ember entry. Both are cheap, both address the mechanism that destroys most homes, and both are visible to an underwriter if you photograph and invoice them. What qualifies and how to document it.