Chenega, AK
Chenega wildfire risk explained
Chenega sits at the 7th percentile nationally for wildfire risk to structures — among the lower wildfire-risk places nationally — per USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities model, built from its 58 counted buildings, not vegetation cover alone. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, Chenega's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 8th percentile nationally.
Chenega's building exposure, zone by zone
Direct exposure dominates in Chenega: 100% of its 58 buildings, versus 0% Indirect and 0% Minimal. Clearing space around a structure changes the outcome here more than any single building-material swap.
How Chenega compares
Chenega scores 7th nationally and 8th within Alaska — close enough that its state context doesn't change the picture the national number already gives. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Chenega ranks 29,173 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 30,695 by building count (1 is largest). Within Alaska alone, it ranks 295 of 322 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Alaska on its state page.
Chenega and the insurance market
At the 7th national percentile, Chenega rates low for wildfire risk — well short of the threshold where insurers have been withdrawing coverage, though comparing a quote costs nothing either way.
What would actually reduce this score
Chenega's 100% Direct-exposure share means lot clearing around the structure typically outweighs any single material upgrade here. The home-hardening guide ranks the options for a place shaped like this.
Where Chenega's figures come from
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 58 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Chenega. The exposure-zones guide covers what Chenega's dominant direct exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.