Bethel, AK
Bethel wildfire risk explained
USFS scores Bethel at the 84th national percentile for wildfire risk to structures (in USFS's highest wildfire-risk band nationally), a figure built from 2,373 real buildings rather than raw vegetation cover. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
USFS's separate burn-probability score — fire likelihood alone, before counting what's built there — puts Bethel at the 88th percentile, close to its 84th-percentile risk score.
Bethel's building exposure, zone by zone
2,373 buildings are counted in Bethel, and 59.7% of them are Indirect exposure — ember-driven risk rather than the 40.2% in Direct exposure or the 0.1% rated Minimal.
How Bethel compares
Bethel ranks lower within Alaska (68th percentile statewide) than its 84th national percentile suggests alone — a calmer spot in a state where wildfire risk generally runs high. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Bethel ranks 4,934 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 6,561 by building count (1 is largest). Within Alaska alone, it ranks 105 of 322 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Alaska on its state page.
What this risk score means for insurance
Bethel's very high rating (84th percentile) puts it among the places where the national carrier-pullback trend is most relevant — not a guarantee of a coverage problem, but a reason to shop rather than assume.
Hardening a home in Bethel
Bethel's 59.7% Indirect-exposure share points at embers, not flame contact, as the main pathway — ember-resistant vents and non-combustible roofing rank ahead of defensible space here. Detail in the home-hardening guide.
Where Bethel's figures come from
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 2,373 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Bethel. The exposure-zones guide covers what Bethel's dominant indirect exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.