Oso, WA
How exposed is Oso to wildfire?
Oso's 159 buildings earn a 43rd-percentile wildfire-risk score nationally under USFS's model — modestly above the national average for wildfire risk. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
USFS's separate burn-probability score — fire likelihood alone, before counting what's built there — puts Oso at the 42nd percentile, close to its 43rd-percentile risk score.
Oso's building exposure, zone by zone
159 buildings are counted in Oso, and 92.5% of them sit in USFS's Direct exposure zone — flame contact, not just ember cast, is the live possibility for most of them, against 0% rated Minimal.
Oso against the rest of the country
Compare Oso's two percentiles: 59th within Washington, only 43rd nationally — a gap of 16 points that marks it as unusually exposed for its own state. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Oso ranks 18,044 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 26,506 by building count (1 is largest). Within Washington alone, it ranks 260 of 628 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Washington on its state page.
Oso and the insurance market
At the 43rd national percentile, Oso 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
Because Direct exposure dominates in Oso (92.5%), the highest-leverage fix is defensible space, not roofing or vents alone — covered in the home-hardening guide.
Where Oso's figures come from
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 159 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Oso. The exposure-zones guide covers what Oso's dominant direct exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.