Fern Forest, HI
Fern Forest wildfire risk explained
Out of every US place USFS scores, Fern Forest lands at the 86th percentile for wildfire risk to structures — in USFS's highest wildfire-risk band nationally — a figure built from its 765 buildings, not the land around them. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
USFS's separate burn-probability score — fire likelihood alone, before counting what's built there — puts Fern Forest at the 83rd percentile, close to its 86th-percentile risk score.
Fern Forest's building exposure, zone by zone
Direct exposure dominates in Fern Forest: 100% of its 765 buildings, versus 0% Indirect and 0% Minimal. Clearing space around a structure changes the outcome here more than any single building-material swap.
Where Fern Forest ranks
Fern Forest ranks lower within Hawaii (20th percentile statewide) than its 86th national percentile suggests alone — a calmer spot in a state where wildfire risk generally runs high. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Fern Forest ranks 4,536 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 13,959 by building count (1 is largest). Within Hawaii alone, it ranks 130 of 163 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Hawaii on its state page.
Fern Forest and the insurance market
At the 86th percentile nationally, Fern Forest carries the very high rating that has pushed some carriers to limit new business in similarly-scored places elsewhere in the country. Worth comparing quotes rather than assuming last year's renewal terms still apply.
Lowering exposure, not just insuring around it
With 100% of Fern Forest 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 Fern Forest's figures come from
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 765 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Fern Forest. The exposure-zones guide covers what Fern Forest's dominant direct exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.