East Cathlamet, WA
How exposed is East Cathlamet to wildfire?
East Cathlamet sits at the 21st percentile nationally for wildfire risk to structures — close to the middle of USFS's national wildfire-risk range — per USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities model, built from its 356 counted buildings, not vegetation cover alone. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Fire likelihood alone (USFS's burn-probability figure) ranks East Cathlamet at the 22nd national percentile — 1 points above its risk-to-structures score, a gap driven by how much is actually built there.
East Cathlamet's building exposure, zone by zone
USFS classifies 56.2% of East Cathlamet's buildings as Direct exposure, higher than its 43.8% Indirect share and far above its 0% Minimal share — a profile where 200 structures sit close enough to vegetation that lot clearing matters most.
How East Cathlamet compares
East Cathlamet's risk sits at a similar level relative to Washington (32nd percentile statewide) as it does nationally (21st) — this place isn't unusual for its own state either way. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, East Cathlamet ranks 25,010 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 20,174 by building count (1 is largest). Within Washington alone, it ranks 429 of 628 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Washington on its state page.
What this risk score means for insurance
East Cathlamet's moderate rating (21st 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
Because Direct exposure dominates in East Cathlamet (56.2%), the highest-leverage fix is defensible space, not roofing or vents alone — covered in the home-hardening guide.
Where East Cathlamet's figures come from
Every one of the two percentiles behind East Cathlamet's 25,010-place national rank traces to USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities dataset — see the methodology guide. The exposure-zones guide covers what East Cathlamet's dominant direct exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.