Kaltag, AK
Kaltag wildfire risk explained
USFS scores Kaltag at the 91st national percentile for wildfire risk to structures (in USFS's highest wildfire-risk band nationally), a figure built from 128 real buildings rather than raw vegetation cover. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, Kaltag's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 90th percentile nationally.
What "at risk" means for the buildings here
Indirect exposure is dominant in Kaltag (90.6% of 128 buildings): far enough from burnable vegetation to avoid flame contact, close enough for wind-blown embers. Only 8.6% sit in the Direct zone.
Kaltag against the rest of the country
Kaltag scores 91st nationally and 78th within Alaska — close enough that its state context doesn't change the picture the national number already gives. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Kaltag ranks 2,792 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 27,780 by building count (1 is largest). Within Alaska alone, it ranks 72 of 322 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Alaska on its state page.
Kaltag and the insurance market
At the 91st percentile nationally, Kaltag 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.
Hardening a home in Kaltag
Kaltag's 90.6% 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.
Where Kaltag's figures come from
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 128 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Kaltag. The exposure-zones guide covers what Kaltag's dominant indirect exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.