Palmer, AK
Palmer, AK's wildfire risk, in USFS's own numbers
Palmer's 2,530 buildings earn a 42nd-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, Palmer's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 45th percentile nationally.
What "at risk" means for the buildings here
USFS classifies 50.9% of Palmer's buildings as Direct exposure, higher than its 49.1% Indirect share and far above its 0% Minimal share — a profile where 1,289 structures sit close enough to vegetation that lot clearing matters most.
Palmer against the rest of the country
Palmer's risk sits at a similar level relative to Alaska (32nd percentile statewide) as it does nationally (42nd) — this place isn't unusual for its own state either way. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Palmer ranks 18,174 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 6,241 by building count (1 is largest). Within Alaska alone, it ranks 219 of 322 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Alaska on its state page.
Shopping for coverage in Palmer
Palmer's elevated wildfire rating (42nd percentile) isn't the kind of score driving the carrier pullback making news in the highest-risk Western markets — but a standard homeowners quote is still worth comparing on its own terms.
What would actually reduce this score
With 50.9% of Palmer 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 Palmer's figures come from
Palmer's 42nd-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 Palmer's dominant direct exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.