Seward, AK
Seward wildfire risk explained
Out of every US place USFS scores, Seward lands at the 18th percentile for wildfire risk to structures — among the lower wildfire-risk places nationally — a figure built from its 1,038 buildings, not the land around them. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, Seward's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 18th percentile nationally.
Seward's building exposure, zone by zone
Most of Seward's buildings (70.5%) sit in the Indirect zone, where wind-blown embers rather than flame front are the mechanism USFS is scoring — ember-resistant vents and non-combustible roofing are the interventions this pattern favors, more than defensible space alone.
Where Seward ranks
Seward's risk sits at a similar level relative to Alaska (21st percentile statewide) as it does nationally (18th) — this place isn't unusual for its own state either way. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Seward ranks 25,927 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 11,668 by building count (1 is largest). Within Alaska alone, it ranks 255 of 322 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Alaska on its state page.
What this risk score means for insurance
Seward's low rating (18th 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 Seward
Seward's 70.5% Indirect-exposure share points at embers, not flame contact, as the main pathway — ember-resistant vents and non-combustible roofing rank ahead of defensible space here. Detail in the home-hardening guide.
Where Seward's figures come from
Seward's 18th-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 Seward's dominant indirect exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.