Northlakes, NC
Northlakes, NC's wildfire risk, in USFS's own numbers
USFS scores Northlakes at the 35th national percentile for wildfire risk to structures (close to the middle of USFS's national wildfire-risk range), a figure built from 737 real buildings rather than raw vegetation cover. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
USFS's separate burn-probability score — fire likelihood alone, before counting what's built there — puts Northlakes at the 38th percentile, close to its 35th-percentile risk score.
Northlakes's building exposure, zone by zone
52% of Northlakes's 737 buildings sit in USFS's Direct exposure zone, roughly 383 structures close enough to burnable vegetation for flame contact, not just embers — 6.4% fall in the Indirect, ember-only zone and 41.7% are Minimal.
Where Northlakes ranks
Northlakes ranks lower within North Carolina (8th percentile statewide) than its 35th national percentile suggests alone — a calmer spot in a state where wildfire risk generally runs high. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Northlakes ranks 20,427 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 14,249 by building count (1 is largest). Within North Carolina alone, it ranks 714 of 772 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for North Carolina on its state page.
What this risk score means for insurance
At the 35th national percentile, Northlakes 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 Northlakes
With 52% of Northlakes 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 Northlakes's figures come from
Northlakes's 35th-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 Northlakes's dominant direct exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.