South Paris, ME
South Paris, ME's wildfire risk, in USFS's own numbers
USFS scores South Paris at the 12th national percentile for wildfire risk to structures (among the lower wildfire-risk places nationally), a figure built from 1,042 real buildings rather than raw vegetation cover. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Fire likelihood alone (USFS's burn-probability figure) ranks South Paris at the 12th national percentile — 0 points above its risk-to-structures score, a gap driven by how much is actually built there.
South Paris's building exposure, zone by zone
Indirect exposure is dominant in South Paris (55.9% of 1,042 buildings): far enough from burnable vegetation to avoid flame contact, close enough for wind-blown embers. Only 44.2% sit in the Direct zone.
Where South Paris ranks
Within Maine, South Paris ranks higher (60th percentile) than it does nationally (12th) — one of the more fire-exposed places in a state that, overall, scores lower than that. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, South Paris ranks 27,731 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 11,641 by building count (1 is largest). Within Maine alone, it ranks 62 of 155 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Maine on its state page.
Shopping for coverage in South Paris
At the 12th national percentile, South Paris rates low for wildfire risk — well short of the threshold where insurers have been withdrawing coverage, though comparing a quote costs nothing either way.
Lowering exposure, not just insuring around it
With ember exposure the dominant pattern in South Paris (55.9% Indirect), vent screens and roofing material tend to matter more than lot clearing alone. The home-hardening guide covers both.
More on how this number was built
South Paris's 12th-percentile score and its burn-probability figure both come from the same USFS workbook, documented in the methodology guide. For more on what indirect exposure implies beyond South Paris, see the exposure-zones guide.