Buena, NJ
How exposed is Buena to wildfire?
Buena sits at the 73rd percentile nationally for wildfire risk to structures — well above the national norm for wildfire risk — per USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities model, built from its 2,244 counted buildings, not vegetation cover alone. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Fire likelihood alone (USFS's burn-probability figure) ranks Buena at the 71st national percentile — 2 points below its risk-to-structures score, a gap driven by how much is actually built there.
Where Buena's buildings actually sit
39.3% of Buena's 2,244 buildings sit in USFS's Direct exposure zone, roughly 882 structures close enough to burnable vegetation for flame contact, not just embers — 32.9% fall in the Indirect, ember-only zone and 27.8% are Minimal.
Buena against the rest of the country
There's little gap between Buena's 73rd national percentile and its 81st percentile inside New Jersey, which means the state comparison mostly confirms what the national score already shows. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Buena ranks 8,612 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 6,828 by building count (1 is largest). Within New Jersey alone, it ranks 134 of 700 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for New Jersey on its state page.
Buena and the insurance market
At the 73rd percentile nationally, Buena 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.
What would actually reduce this score
Because Direct exposure dominates in Buena (39.3%), the highest-leverage fix is defensible space, not roofing or vents alone — covered in the home-hardening guide.
Where Buena's figures come from
Every one of the two percentiles behind Buena's 8,612-place national rank traces to USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities dataset — see the methodology guide. The exposure-zones guide covers what Buena's dominant direct exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.