North Brookfield, MA
How exposed is North Brookfield to wildfire?
Out of every US place USFS scores, North Brookfield lands at the 27th percentile for wildfire risk to structures — close to the middle of USFS's national wildfire-risk range — a figure built from its 970 buildings, not the land around them. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Fire likelihood alone (USFS's burn-probability figure) ranks North Brookfield at the 27th national percentile — 1 points below its risk-to-structures score, a gap driven by how much is actually built there.
What "at risk" means for the buildings here
Indirect exposure is dominant in North Brookfield (57.1% of 970 buildings): far enough from burnable vegetation to avoid flame contact, close enough for wind-blown embers. Only 42.9% sit in the Direct zone.
Where North Brookfield ranks
Compare North Brookfield's two percentiles: 61st within Massachusetts, only 27th nationally — a gap of 34 points that marks it as unusually exposed for its own state. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, North Brookfield ranks 22,937 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 12,152 by building count (1 is largest). Within Massachusetts alone, it ranks 100 of 248 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Massachusetts on its state page.
What this risk score means for insurance
At the 27th national percentile, North Brookfield 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 North Brookfield
With ember exposure the dominant pattern in North Brookfield (57.1% Indirect), vent screens and roofing material tend to matter more than lot clearing alone. The home-hardening guide covers both.
Where North Brookfield's figures come from
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 970 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for North Brookfield. The exposure-zones guide covers what North Brookfield's dominant indirect exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.