Bristol, NH
How exposed is Bristol to wildfire?
USFS scores Bristol at the 19th national percentile for wildfire risk to structures (among the lower wildfire-risk places nationally), a figure built from 889 real buildings rather than raw vegetation cover. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, Bristol's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 19th percentile nationally.
Bristol's building exposure, zone by zone
Direct exposure dominates in Bristol: 62.5% of its 889 buildings, versus 37.5% Indirect and 0% Minimal. Clearing space around a structure changes the outcome here more than any single building-material swap.
Where Bristol ranks
Bristol's 55th-percentile standing inside New Hampshire outpaces its 19th 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, Bristol ranks 25,658 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 12,827 by building count (1 is largest). Within New Hampshire alone, it ranks 45 of 100 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for New Hampshire on its state page.
Shopping for coverage in Bristol
Bristol's low rating (19th percentile nationally) sits outside the range where wildfire risk alone reshapes an insurance market — still, a homeowner here loses nothing by comparing rates.
What would actually reduce this score
With 62.5% of Bristol 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 Bristol's figures come from
Every one of the two percentiles behind Bristol's 25,658-place national rank traces to USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities dataset — see the methodology guide. The exposure-zones guide covers what Bristol's dominant direct exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.