Bowers, DE
How exposed is Bowers to wildfire?
Bowers's 268 buildings earn a 74th-percentile wildfire-risk score nationally under USFS's model — well above the national norm for wildfire risk. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
USFS's separate burn-probability score — fire likelihood alone, before counting what's built there — puts Bowers at the 67th percentile, close to its 74th-percentile risk score.
What "at risk" means for the buildings here
67.2% of Bowers's 268 buildings fall in USFS's Indirect exposure zone — ember cast rather than direct flame — against 24.3% Direct and 8.6% Minimal. Vent screens and roofing material matter more here than lot clearing alone.
Bowers against the rest of the country
Bowers's 99th-percentile standing inside Delaware outpaces its 74th national percentile — this is a hotter spot than most of its own state, even though the state as a whole runs cooler nationally. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Bowers ranks 8,218 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 22,559 by building count (1 is largest). Within Delaware alone, it ranks 2 of 79 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Delaware on its state page.
Shopping for coverage in Bowers
At the 74th percentile nationally, Bowers carries the high rating that has pushed some carriers to limit new business in similarly-scored places elsewhere in the country. Worth comparing quotes rather than assuming last year's renewal terms still apply.
Hardening a home in Bowers
Bowers's 67.2% 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 Bowers's figures come from
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 268 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Bowers. The exposure-zones guide covers what Bowers's dominant indirect exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.