Kwethluk, AK
Kwethluk wildfire risk explained
USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities model puts Kwethluk at the 70th national percentile for risk to structures, well above the national norm for wildfire risk — a score built from 234 actual buildings. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
USFS's separate burn-probability score — fire likelihood alone, before counting what's built there — puts Kwethluk at the 76th percentile, close to its 70th-percentile risk score.
Kwethluk's building exposure, zone by zone
234 buildings are counted in Kwethluk, and 72.2% of them are Indirect exposure — ember-driven risk rather than the 27.8% in Direct exposure or the 0% rated Minimal.
How Kwethluk compares
Kwethluk ranks lower within Alaska (53rd percentile statewide) than its 70th national percentile suggests alone — a calmer spot in a state where wildfire risk generally runs high. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Kwethluk ranks 9,410 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 23,653 by building count (1 is largest). Within Alaska alone, it ranks 152 of 322 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Alaska on its state page.
Kwethluk and the insurance market
At the 70th percentile nationally, Kwethluk carries the 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.
Lowering exposure, not just insuring around it
With ember exposure the dominant pattern in Kwethluk (72.2% Indirect), vent screens and roofing material tend to matter more than lot clearing alone. The home-hardening guide covers both.
Where Kwethluk's figures come from
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 234 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Kwethluk. The exposure-zones guide covers what Kwethluk's dominant indirect exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.