415 Half Moon Bay Homes at Highest Risk from Wildfires

According to a study by Corelogic, 415 homes in Half Moon Bay fall into the highest risk segment of wildfire danger. The study also estimates that the reconstruction costs of said homes is over $230 million.

Nearby cities are also at risk. Oakland is home to over 1,000 high risk homes, Inverness has 643, Woodacre with 443, Pacifica 252, and Mill Valley having 363.

The entire region - dubbed San Francisco-Oakland-Heyward - is home to 5,800 extremely high risk properties with a reconstruction value of more that $2.7 billion.

Oakland was the site of one of the most costly U.S. wildfires on record in 1991, with a wildfire that destroyed over 3,000 homes, caused more than $1.5 billion in damage, killed 25 people and lead to over 150 serious injuries.

According to California burn injury attorney, Scott Liljegren, “Home and building fires are particularly dangerous, often trapping residents inside where they are vulnerable both to burns and inhalation injuries. Homes are also full of materials and objects that can further fuel a fire.”

The list is part of a larger study that found over 2.2 million homes in the U.S. to be at serious wildfire risks.

Image Source: “Redcanyonfirenight” by InciWeb - United States Forest Service. Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons