Del Norte, CO
Del Norte wildfire risk explained
USFS scores Del Norte at the 42nd national percentile for wildfire risk to structures (modestly above the national average for wildfire risk), a figure built from 1,207 real buildings rather than raw vegetation cover. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
USFS's separate burn-probability score — fire likelihood alone, before counting what's built there — puts Del Norte at the 39th percentile, close to its 42nd-percentile risk score.
What "at risk" means for the buildings here
Indirect exposure is dominant in Del Norte (94.6% of 1,207 buildings): far enough from burnable vegetation to avoid flame contact, close enough for wind-blown embers. Only 5.4% sit in the Direct zone.
Del Norte against the rest of the country
Del Norte's 42nd national percentile looks worse in isolation than its 9th ranking inside Colorado does — this place is on the milder end for its own state, by 33 points. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Del Norte ranks 18,300 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 10,604 by building count (1 is largest). Within Colorado alone, it ranks 429 of 472 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Colorado on its state page.
Shopping for coverage in Del Norte
At the 42nd national percentile, Del Norte 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 ember exposure the dominant pattern in Del Norte (94.6% Indirect), vent screens and roofing material tend to matter more than lot clearing alone. The home-hardening guide covers both.
Where Del Norte's figures come from
Del Norte's 42nd-percentile score and its burn-probability figure both come from the same USFS workbook, documented in the methodology guide. The exposure-zones guide covers what Del Norte's dominant indirect exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.