Schaefer Lake, IN
How exposed is Schaefer Lake to wildfire?
Schaefer Lake's 140 buildings earn a 11th-percentile wildfire-risk score nationally under USFS's model — among the lower wildfire-risk places nationally. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, Schaefer Lake's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 11th percentile nationally.
Schaefer Lake's building exposure, zone by zone
Direct exposure dominates in Schaefer Lake: 63.6% of its 140 buildings, versus 0% Indirect and 36.4% Minimal. Clearing space around a structure changes the outcome here more than any single building-material swap.
Schaefer Lake against the rest of the country
Within Indiana, Schaefer Lake ranks higher (58th percentile) than it does nationally (11th) — one of the more fire-exposed places in a state that, overall, scores lower than that. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Schaefer Lake ranks 28,201 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 27,281 by building count (1 is largest). Within Indiana alone, it ranks 411 of 967 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Indiana on its state page.
What this risk score means for insurance
Schaefer Lake's low rating (11th percentile nationally) sits outside the range where wildfire risk alone reshapes an insurance market — still, a homeowner here loses nothing by comparing rates.
Lowering exposure, not just insuring around it
Because Direct exposure dominates in Schaefer Lake (63.6%), the highest-leverage fix is defensible space, not roofing or vents alone — covered in the home-hardening guide.
Where Schaefer Lake's figures come from
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 140 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Schaefer Lake. The exposure-zones guide covers what Schaefer Lake's dominant direct exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.