Union Gap, WA
Union Gap, WA's wildfire risk, in USFS's own numbers
Union Gap sits at the 94th percentile nationally for wildfire risk to structures — in USFS's highest wildfire-risk band nationally — per USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities model, built from its 3,431 counted buildings, not vegetation cover alone. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
USFS's separate burn-probability score — fire likelihood alone, before counting what's built there — puts Union Gap at the 96th percentile, close to its 94th-percentile risk score.
What "at risk" means for the buildings here
Indirect exposure is dominant in Union Gap (68.1% of 3,431 buildings): far enough from burnable vegetation to avoid flame contact, close enough for wind-blown embers. Only 10.1% sit in the Direct zone.
Union Gap against the rest of the country
Union Gap's risk sits at a similar level relative to Washington (85th percentile statewide) as it does nationally (94th) — this place isn't unusual for its own state either way. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Union Gap ranks 1,843 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 4,871 by building count (1 is largest). Within Washington alone, it ranks 93 of 628 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Washington on its state page.
What this risk score means for insurance
At the 94th percentile nationally, Union Gap 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.
Hardening a home in Union Gap
Union Gap's 68.1% 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 Union Gap's figures come from
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 3,431 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Union Gap. The exposure-zones guide covers what Union Gap's dominant indirect exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.