Belchertown, MA
Belchertown, MA's wildfire risk, in USFS's own numbers
USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities model puts Belchertown at the 28th national percentile for risk to structures, close to the middle of USFS's national wildfire-risk range — a score built from 1,283 actual buildings. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, Belchertown's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 25th percentile nationally.
Where Belchertown's buildings actually sit
Direct exposure dominates in Belchertown: 81.8% of its 1,283 buildings, versus 18.2% Indirect and 0% Minimal. Clearing space around a structure changes the outcome here more than any single building-material swap.
Where Belchertown ranks
Within Massachusetts, Belchertown ranks higher (68th percentile) than it does nationally (28th) — one of the more fire-exposed places in a state that, overall, scores lower than that. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Belchertown ranks 22,597 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 10,176 by building count (1 is largest). Within Massachusetts alone, it ranks 81 of 248 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Massachusetts on its state page.
Belchertown and the insurance market
At the 28th national percentile, Belchertown rates moderate for wildfire risk — well short of the threshold where insurers have been withdrawing coverage, though comparing a quote costs nothing either way.
Hardening a home in Belchertown
With 81.8% of Belchertown in Direct exposure, defensible-space clearing and ember-resistant construction (vents, Class-A roofing) address the exposure this page's own numbers describe, not a generic checklist. See the home-hardening guide.
Where Belchertown's figures come from
Every one of the two percentiles behind Belchertown's 22,597-place national rank traces to USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities dataset — see the methodology guide. The exposure-zones guide covers what Belchertown's dominant direct exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.