New Columbia, PA
How exposed is New Columbia to wildfire?
USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities model puts New Columbia at the 17th national percentile for risk to structures, among the lower wildfire-risk places nationally — a score built from 582 actual buildings. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, New Columbia's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 18th percentile nationally.
Where New Columbia's buildings actually sit
USFS classifies 59.3% of New Columbia's buildings as Direct exposure, higher than its 40.7% Indirect share and far above its 0% Minimal share — a profile where 345 structures sit close enough to vegetation that lot clearing matters most.
New Columbia against the rest of the country
New Columbia scores 17th nationally and 18th within Pennsylvania — close enough that its state context doesn't change the picture the national number already gives. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, New Columbia ranks 26,201 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 16,082 by building count (1 is largest). Within Pennsylvania alone, it ranks 1,642 of 1,991 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Pennsylvania on its state page.
Shopping for coverage in New Columbia
At the 17th national percentile, New Columbia rates low for wildfire risk — well short of the threshold where insurers have been withdrawing coverage, though comparing a quote costs nothing either way.
Lowering exposure, not just insuring around it
With 59.3% of New Columbia in Direct exposure, defensible-space clearing and ember-resistant construction (vents, Class-A roofing) address the exposure this page's own numbers describe, not a generic checklist. See the home-hardening guide.
Where New Columbia's figures come from
New Columbia's 17th-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 New Columbia's dominant direct exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.