Alton, NH
Alton wildfire risk explained
Out of every US place USFS scores, Alton lands at the 18th percentile for wildfire risk to structures — among the lower wildfire-risk places nationally — a figure built from its 311 buildings, not the land around them. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
USFS's separate burn-probability score — fire likelihood alone, before counting what's built there — puts Alton at the 18th percentile, close to its 18th-percentile risk score.
Alton's building exposure, zone by zone
Indirect exposure is dominant in Alton (65.9% of 311 buildings): far enough from burnable vegetation to avoid flame contact, close enough for wind-blown embers. Only 34.1% sit in the Direct zone.
How Alton compares
Compare Alton's two percentiles: 52nd within New Hampshire, only 18th nationally — a gap of 33 points that marks it as unusually exposed for its own state. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Alton ranks 25,778 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 21,345 by building count (1 is largest). Within New Hampshire alone, it ranks 48 of 100 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for New Hampshire on its state page.
Alton and the insurance market
Alton's low rating (18th percentile nationally) sits outside the range where wildfire risk alone reshapes an insurance market — still, a homeowner here loses nothing by comparing rates.
Hardening a home in Alton
With ember exposure the dominant pattern in Alton (65.9% Indirect), vent screens and roofing material tend to matter more than lot clearing alone. The home-hardening guide covers both.
Where Alton's figures come from
Alton's 18th-percentile score and its burn-probability figure both come from the same USFS workbook, documented in the methodology guide. The exposure-zones guide covers what Alton's dominant indirect exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.