Higganum, CT
Higganum, CT's wildfire risk, in USFS's own numbers
Higganum sits at the 48th 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 1,295 counted buildings, not vegetation cover alone. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
USFS's separate burn-probability score — fire likelihood alone, before counting what's built there — puts Higganum at the 47th percentile, close to its 48th-percentile risk score.
Higganum's building exposure, zone by zone
1,295 buildings are counted in Higganum, and 95.4% of them sit in USFS's Direct exposure zone — flame contact, not just ember cast, is the live possibility for most of them, against 0.5% rated Minimal.
Where Higganum ranks
Compare Higganum's two percentiles: 99th within Connecticut, only 48th nationally — a gap of 51 points that marks it as unusually exposed for its own state. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Higganum ranks 16,315 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 10,096 by building count (1 is largest). Within Connecticut alone, it ranks 3 of 214 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Connecticut on its state page.
What this risk score means for insurance
Higganum's elevated rating (48th percentile nationally) sits outside the range where wildfire risk alone reshapes an insurance market — still, a homeowner here loses nothing by comparing rates.
Lowering exposure, not just insuring around it
Because Direct exposure dominates in Higganum (95.4%), the highest-leverage fix is defensible space, not roofing or vents alone — covered in the home-hardening guide.
Where Higganum's figures come from
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 1,295 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Higganum. The exposure-zones guide covers what Higganum's dominant direct exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.