Sussex, NJ
How exposed is Sussex to wildfire?
USFS scores Sussex at the 41st national percentile for wildfire risk to structures (modestly above the national average for wildfire risk), a figure built from 636 real buildings rather than raw vegetation cover. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Fire likelihood alone (USFS's burn-probability figure) ranks Sussex at the 43rd national percentile — 2 points above its risk-to-structures score, a gap driven by how much is actually built there.
Sussex's building exposure, zone by zone
Indirect exposure is dominant in Sussex (76.7% of 636 buildings): far enough from burnable vegetation to avoid flame contact, close enough for wind-blown embers. Only 22% sit in the Direct zone.
Where Sussex ranks
Sussex's risk sits at a similar level relative to New Jersey (45th percentile statewide) as it does nationally (41st) — this place isn't unusual for its own state either way. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Sussex ranks 18,502 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 15,394 by building count (1 is largest). Within New Jersey alone, it ranks 386 of 700 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for New Jersey on its state page.
Shopping for coverage in Sussex
At the 41st national percentile, Sussex rates elevated for wildfire risk — well short of the threshold where insurers have been withdrawing coverage, though comparing a quote costs nothing either way.
Hardening a home in Sussex
Sussex's 76.7% 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.
More on how this number was built
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 636 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Sussex. For more on what indirect exposure implies beyond Sussex, see the exposure-zones guide.