Mason, TN
How exposed is Mason to wildfire?
USFS scores Mason at the 33rd national percentile for wildfire risk to structures (close to the middle of USFS's national wildfire-risk range), a figure built from 446 real buildings rather than raw vegetation cover. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, Mason's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 34th percentile nationally.
Mason's building exposure, zone by zone
37.9% of Mason's 446 buildings sit in USFS's Direct exposure zone, roughly 169 structures close enough to burnable vegetation for flame contact, not just embers — 33.9% fall in the Indirect, ember-only zone and 28.3% are Minimal.
How Mason compares
There's little gap between Mason's 33rd national percentile and its 22nd percentile inside Tennessee, which means the state comparison mostly confirms what the national score already shows. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Mason ranks 21,290 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 18,356 by building count (1 is largest). Within Tennessee alone, it ranks 393 of 502 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Tennessee on its state page.
Shopping for coverage in Mason
At the 33rd national percentile, Mason rates moderate 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 Mason
Because Direct exposure dominates in Mason (37.9%), the highest-leverage fix is defensible space, not roofing or vents alone — covered in the home-hardening guide.
Where Mason's figures come from
Mason's 33rd-percentile score and its burn-probability figure both come from the same USFS workbook, documented in the methodology guide. The exposure-zones guide covers what Mason's dominant direct exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.