Lake McMurray, WA
Lake McMurray wildfire risk explained
Lake McMurray's 347 buildings earn a 40th-percentile wildfire-risk score nationally under USFS's model — modestly above the national average for wildfire risk. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
USFS's separate burn-probability score — fire likelihood alone, before counting what's built there — puts Lake McMurray at the 35th percentile, close to its 40th-percentile risk score.
Lake McMurray's building exposure, zone by zone
77.8% of Lake McMurray's 347 buildings sit in USFS's Direct exposure zone, roughly 270 structures close enough to burnable vegetation for flame contact, not just embers — 17.9% fall in the Indirect, ember-only zone and 4.3% are Minimal.
Lake McMurray against the rest of the country
Compare Lake McMurray's two percentiles: 57th within Washington, only 40th nationally — a gap of 17 points that marks it as unusually exposed for its own state. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Lake McMurray ranks 18,830 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 20,414 by building count (1 is largest). Within Washington alone, it ranks 268 of 628 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Washington on its state page.
What this risk score means for insurance
At the 40th national percentile, Lake McMurray rates elevated for wildfire risk — well short of the threshold where insurers have been withdrawing coverage, though comparing a quote costs nothing either way.
Hardening a home in Lake McMurray
Because Direct exposure dominates in Lake McMurray (77.8%), the highest-leverage fix is defensible space, not roofing or vents alone — covered in the home-hardening guide.
Where Lake McMurray's figures come from
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 347 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Lake McMurray. The exposure-zones guide covers what Lake McMurray's dominant direct exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.