Independence, OR
How exposed is Independence to wildfire?
USFS scores Independence at the 13th national percentile for wildfire risk to structures (among the lower wildfire-risk places nationally), a figure built from 3,270 real buildings rather than raw vegetation cover. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, Independence's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 14th percentile nationally.
Where Independence's buildings actually sit
59% of Independence's 3,270 buildings fall in USFS's Indirect exposure zone — ember cast rather than direct flame — against 5.3% Direct and 35.7% Minimal. Vent screens and roofing material matter more here than lot clearing alone.
Independence against the rest of the country
Independence's risk sits at a similar level relative to Oregon (6th percentile statewide) as it does nationally (13th) — this place isn't unusual for its own state either way. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Independence ranks 27,461 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 5,079 by building count (1 is largest). Within Oregon alone, it ranks 397 of 420 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Oregon on its state page.
What this risk score means for insurance
Independence's 13th-percentile score lands in Oregon, the only two states requiring a wildfire disclosure at sale. Oregon's own hazard map feeds directly into that disclosure requirement. The disclosure-law guide covers what it requires.
Lowering exposure, not just insuring around it
With ember exposure the dominant pattern in Independence (59% Indirect), vent screens and roofing material tend to matter more than lot clearing alone. The home-hardening guide covers both.
More on how this number was built
Independence's 13th-percentile score and its burn-probability figure both come from the same USFS workbook, documented in the methodology guide. For more on what indirect exposure implies beyond Independence, see the exposure-zones guide.