Chignik Lake, AK
How exposed is Chignik Lake to wildfire?
USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities model puts Chignik Lake at the 49th national percentile for risk to structures, modestly above the national average for wildfire risk — a score built from 75 actual buildings. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
USFS's separate burn-probability score — fire likelihood alone, before counting what's built there — puts Chignik Lake at the 50th percentile, close to its 49th-percentile risk score.
Chignik Lake's building exposure, zone by zone
Direct exposure dominates in Chignik Lake: 96% of its 75 buildings, versus 0% Indirect and 4% Minimal. Clearing space around a structure changes the outcome here more than any single building-material swap.
How Chignik Lake compares
Chignik Lake's risk sits at a similar level relative to Alaska (40th percentile statewide) as it does nationally (49th) — this place isn't unusual for its own state either way. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Chignik Lake ranks 16,029 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 30,068 by building count (1 is largest). Within Alaska alone, it ranks 194 of 322 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Alaska on its state page.
Shopping for coverage in Chignik Lake
At the 49th national percentile, Chignik Lake rates elevated 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
Because Direct exposure dominates in Chignik Lake (96%), the highest-leverage fix is defensible space, not roofing or vents alone — covered in the home-hardening guide.
Where Chignik Lake's figures come from
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 75 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Chignik Lake. The exposure-zones guide covers what Chignik Lake's dominant direct exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.