Sterling, AK
Sterling, AK's wildfire risk, in USFS's own numbers
Out of every US place USFS scores, Sterling lands at the 96th percentile for wildfire risk to structures — in USFS's highest wildfire-risk band nationally — a figure built from its 4,722 buildings, not the land around them. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, Sterling's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 95th percentile nationally.
Sterling's building exposure, zone by zone
USFS classifies 95.6% of Sterling's buildings as Direct exposure, higher than its 3.3% Indirect share and far above its 1% Minimal share — a profile where 4,516 structures sit close enough to vegetation that lot clearing matters most.
Where Sterling ranks
There's little gap between Sterling's 96th national percentile and its 88th percentile inside Alaska, which means the state comparison mostly confirms what the national score already shows. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Sterling ranks 1,278 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 3,612 by building count (1 is largest). Within Alaska alone, it ranks 39 of 322 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Alaska on its state page.
Sterling and the insurance market
At the 96th percentile nationally, Sterling carries the very 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 95.6% of Sterling 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 Sterling's figures come from
Sterling's 96th-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 Sterling's dominant direct exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.