Clairton, PA
Clairton wildfire risk explained
Out of every US place USFS scores, Clairton lands at the 29th percentile for wildfire risk to structures — close to the middle of USFS's national wildfire-risk range — a figure built from its 3,917 buildings, not the land around them. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, Clairton's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 30th percentile nationally.
Where Clairton's buildings actually sit
Indirect exposure is dominant in Clairton (65.3% of 3,917 buildings): far enough from burnable vegetation to avoid flame contact, close enough for wind-blown embers. Only 3.8% sit in the Direct zone.
Where Clairton ranks
Clairton scores 29th nationally and 36th within Pennsylvania — close enough that its state context doesn't change the picture the national number already gives. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Clairton ranks 22,414 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 4,318 by building count (1 is largest). Within Pennsylvania alone, it ranks 1,277 of 1,991 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Pennsylvania on its state page.
What this risk score means for insurance
Clairton's moderate rating (29th 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
Clairton's 65.3% 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 Clairton's figures come from
Every one of the two percentiles behind Clairton's 22,414-place national rank traces to USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities dataset — see the methodology guide. The exposure-zones guide covers what Clairton's dominant indirect exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.