Russell, MA
Russell wildfire risk explained
Russell's 444 buildings earn a 26th-percentile wildfire-risk score nationally under USFS's model — close to the middle of USFS's national wildfire-risk range. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, Russell's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 25th percentile nationally.
What "at risk" means for the buildings here
Direct exposure dominates in Russell: 81.8% of its 444 buildings, versus 18.2% Indirect and 0% Minimal. Clearing space around a structure changes the outcome here more than any single building-material swap.
How Russell compares
Russell's 47th-percentile standing inside Massachusetts outpaces its 26th national percentile — this is a hotter spot than most of its own state, even though the state as a whole runs cooler nationally. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Russell ranks 23,420 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 18,380 by building count (1 is largest). Within Massachusetts alone, it ranks 133 of 248 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Massachusetts on its state page.
Shopping for coverage in Russell
Russell's moderate rating (26th percentile nationally) sits outside the range where wildfire risk alone reshapes an insurance market — still, a homeowner here loses nothing by comparing rates.
Hardening a home in Russell
With 81.8% of Russell 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 Russell's 23,420-place national rank traces to USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities dataset — see the methodology guide. For more on what direct exposure implies beyond Russell, see the exposure-zones guide.