North Lakes, AK
North Lakes, AK's wildfire risk, in USFS's own numbers
USFS scores North Lakes at the 47th national percentile for wildfire risk to structures (modestly above the national average for wildfire risk), a figure built from 4,382 real buildings rather than raw vegetation cover. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Fire likelihood alone (USFS's burn-probability figure) ranks North Lakes at the 47th national percentile — 0 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
92.9% of North Lakes's 4,382 buildings sit in USFS's Direct exposure zone, roughly 4,070 structures close enough to burnable vegetation for flame contact, not just embers — 1.9% fall in the Indirect, ember-only zone and 5.3% are Minimal.
Where North Lakes ranks
North Lakes's risk sits at a similar level relative to Alaska (37th percentile statewide) as it does nationally (47th) — this place isn't unusual for its own state either way. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, North Lakes ranks 16,628 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 3,893 by building count (1 is largest). Within Alaska alone, it ranks 203 of 322 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Alaska on its state page.
North Lakes and the insurance market
At the 47th national percentile, North Lakes rates elevated for wildfire risk — well short of the threshold where insurers have been withdrawing coverage, though comparing a quote costs nothing either way.
What would actually reduce this score
With 92.9% of North Lakes 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.
More on how this number was built
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 4,382 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for North Lakes. For more on what direct exposure implies beyond North Lakes, see the exposure-zones guide.