Othello, NJ
Othello wildfire risk explained
Othello's 145 buildings earn a 56th-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.)
Separately from the risk score above, Othello's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 53rd percentile nationally.
Where Othello's buildings actually sit
80% of Othello's 145 buildings sit in USFS's Direct exposure zone, roughly 116 structures close enough to burnable vegetation for flame contact, not just embers — 20% fall in the Indirect, ember-only zone and 0% are Minimal.
Where Othello ranks
Othello scores 56th nationally and 66th within New Jersey — close enough that its state context doesn't change the picture the national number already gives. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Othello ranks 13,710 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 27,088 by building count (1 is largest). Within New Jersey alone, it ranks 241 of 700 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for New Jersey on its state page.
What this risk score means for insurance
At the 56th national percentile, Othello rates elevated 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 80% of Othello 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
Every one of the two percentiles behind Othello's 13,710-place national rank traces to USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities dataset — see the methodology guide. For more on what direct exposure implies beyond Othello, see the exposure-zones guide.