Salem, NE
How exposed is Salem to wildfire?
Salem's 137 buildings earn a 76th-percentile wildfire-risk score nationally under USFS's model — well above the national norm 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 Salem at the 76th percentile, close to its 76th-percentile risk score.
Where Salem's buildings actually sit
Direct exposure dominates in Salem: 64.2% of its 137 buildings, versus 35.8% Indirect and 0% Minimal. Clearing space around a structure changes the outcome here more than any single building-material swap.
Salem against the rest of the country
Salem's risk sits at a similar level relative to Nebraska (79th percentile statewide) as it does nationally (76th) — this place isn't unusual for its own state either way. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Salem ranks 7,727 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 27,408 by building count (1 is largest). Within Nebraska alone, it ranks 126 of 583 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Nebraska on its state page.
What this risk score means for insurance
At the 76th percentile nationally, Salem carries the high rating that has pushed some carriers to limit new business in similarly-scored places elsewhere in the country. Worth comparing quotes rather than assuming last year's renewal terms still apply.
What would actually reduce this score
With 64.2% of Salem 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 Salem's figures come from
Salem's 76th-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 Salem's dominant direct exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.