Defiance, PA
Defiance wildfire risk explained
Defiance sits at the 55th 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 139 counted buildings, not vegetation cover alone. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, Defiance's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 53rd percentile nationally.
Where Defiance's buildings actually sit
Direct exposure dominates in Defiance: 69.1% of its 139 buildings, versus 30.9% Indirect and 0% Minimal. Clearing space around a structure changes the outcome here more than any single building-material swap.
Where Defiance ranks
Compare Defiance's two percentiles: 91st within Pennsylvania, only 55th nationally — a gap of 36 points that marks it as unusually exposed for its own state. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Defiance ranks 14,104 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 27,343 by building count (1 is largest). Within Pennsylvania alone, it ranks 175 of 1,991 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Pennsylvania on its state page.
Shopping for coverage in Defiance
At the 55th national percentile, Defiance 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
With 69.1% of Defiance in Direct exposure, defensible-space clearing and ember-resistant construction (vents, Class-A roofing) address the exposure this page's own numbers describe, not a generic checklist. See the home-hardening guide.
Where Defiance's figures come from
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 139 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Defiance. The exposure-zones guide covers what Defiance's dominant direct exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.