Kaunakakai, HI
Kaunakakai, HI's wildfire risk, in USFS's own numbers
Kaunakakai's 1,684 buildings earn a 92nd-percentile wildfire-risk score nationally under USFS's model — in USFS's highest wildfire-risk band nationally. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Fire likelihood alone (USFS's burn-probability figure) ranks Kaunakakai at the 91st national percentile — 2 points below its risk-to-structures score, a gap driven by how much is actually built there.
Kaunakakai's building exposure, zone by zone
1,684 buildings are counted in Kaunakakai, and 49.2% of them are Indirect exposure — ember-driven risk rather than the 48.7% in Direct exposure or the 2.1% rated Minimal.
Where Kaunakakai ranks
Kaunakakai ranks lower within Hawaii (57th percentile statewide) than its 92nd national percentile suggests alone — a calmer spot in a state where wildfire risk generally runs high. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Kaunakakai ranks 2,454 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 8,479 by building count (1 is largest). Within Hawaii alone, it ranks 69 of 163 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Hawaii on its state page.
What this risk score means for insurance
Kaunakakai's very high rating (92nd percentile) puts it among the places where the national carrier-pullback trend is most relevant — not a guarantee of a coverage problem, but a reason to shop rather than assume.
Hardening a home in Kaunakakai
With ember exposure the dominant pattern in Kaunakakai (49.2% Indirect), vent screens and roofing material tend to matter more than lot clearing alone. The home-hardening guide covers both.
Where Kaunakakai's figures come from
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 1,684 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Kaunakakai. The exposure-zones guide covers what Kaunakakai's dominant indirect exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.