Helemano, HI
How exposed is Helemano to wildfire?
USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities model puts Helemano at the 98th national percentile for risk to structures, in USFS's highest wildfire-risk band nationally — a score built from 329 actual buildings. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, Helemano's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 97th percentile nationally.
Where Helemano's buildings actually sit
83.6% of Helemano's 329 buildings fall in USFS's Indirect exposure zone — ember cast rather than direct flame — against 16.4% Direct and 0% Minimal. Vent screens and roofing material matter more here than lot clearing alone.
Helemano against the rest of the country
Helemano's risk sits at a similar level relative to Hawaii (94th percentile statewide) as it does nationally (98th) — this place isn't unusual for its own state either way. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Helemano ranks 695 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 20,844 by building count (1 is largest). Within Hawaii alone, it ranks 11 of 163 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Hawaii on its state page.
Shopping for coverage in Helemano
At the 98th percentile nationally, Helemano 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.
What would actually reduce this score
Helemano's 83.6% Indirect-exposure share points at embers, not flame contact, as the main pathway — ember-resistant vents and non-combustible roofing rank ahead of defensible space here. Detail in the home-hardening guide.
More on how this number was built
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 329 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Helemano. For more on what indirect exposure implies beyond Helemano, see the exposure-zones guide.