Napa, Sonoma County Wildfires Risk 172,000 Homes, Analysts Find

NAPA VALLEY, CA — More than 172,000 homes are at risk from the wildfires engulfing thousands of acres in Napa and Sonoma Counties, according to analysis from the risk assessment firm CoreLogic. Reconstruction costs could surpass $65 billion, the researchers found, compounding the devastating loss of life and property that the fires have already caused.

Not all homes are at equal risk, and only about 11,000 face a "high" or "extreme" likelihood of significant damage from the fires wreaking havoc across California.

"Although the majority of homes, 161,059, or 94 percent, are at Low or Moderate risk of damage, wildfire can easily expand to adjacent properties and cause significant damage even if a property is not considered high risk in its own right," CoreLogic reported in a press release. (For more updates on the wildfire and other local stories, subscribe to the Napa Valley Patch for free and receive daily newsletters and breaking news alerts.)

Officials are warning that the calamitous fires could get worse before they get better.

Governor Jerry Brown On Wildfires: 'It's Not Over'

Gov. Jerry Brown cautioned that catastrophic wildfires will keep ripping through the state as the climate warms. He said the federal government has pledged assistance but points out resources also are going to hurricane recovery efforts in Texas and Florida.

Brown told reporters Wednesday that more people are living in communities close to forests and brush that easily ignite because of dry weather. Blazes burning in Northern California have become some of the deadliest in state history. Recent research suggests that climate change could leave California even dryer in the coming years.

He says a warming climate has contributed to catastrophic wildfires and that they will continue to happen. The governor, who's positioned himself as a leader in the fight against climate change, says residents and officials have to be prepared and do everything they can to mitigate the problem.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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