Cook, NE
Cook, NE's wildfire risk, in USFS's own numbers
Cook sits at the 46th percentile nationally for wildfire risk to structures — modestly above the national average for wildfire risk — per USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities model, built from its 238 counted buildings, not vegetation cover alone. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Fire likelihood alone (USFS's burn-probability figure) ranks Cook at the 44th national percentile — 2 points below its risk-to-structures score, a gap driven by how much is actually built there.
Cook's building exposure, zone by zone
Most of Cook's buildings (95.8% of 238) fall outside USFS's Direct and Indirect zones entirely — that doesn't zero out the score above, it means the risk is regional, not structure-by-structure.
How Cook compares
There's little gap between Cook's 46th national percentile and its 31st percentile inside Nebraska, which means the state comparison mostly confirms what the national score already shows. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Cook ranks 17,085 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 23,532 by building count (1 is largest). Within Nebraska alone, it ranks 403 of 583 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Nebraska on its state page.
What this risk score means for insurance
Cook's elevated rating (46th percentile nationally) sits outside the range where wildfire risk alone reshapes an insurance market — still, a homeowner here loses nothing by comparing rates.
Lowering exposure, not just insuring around it
With 95.8% of buildings rated Minimal exposure, Cook gets less benefit from structure hardening than a Direct- or Indirect-dominant place would — the home-hardening guide explains why the zone matters.
Where Cook's figures come from
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 238 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Cook. The exposure-zones guide covers what Cook's dominant minimal exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.