Vernon, IN
Vernon wildfire risk explained
USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities model puts Vernon at the 24th national percentile for risk to structures, close to the middle of USFS's national wildfire-risk range — a score built from 242 actual buildings. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Fire likelihood alone (USFS's burn-probability figure) ranks Vernon at the 26th national percentile — 2 points above its risk-to-structures score, a gap driven by how much is actually built there.
What "at risk" means for the buildings here
70.3% of Vernon's 242 buildings fall in USFS's Indirect exposure zone — ember cast rather than direct flame — against 29.8% Direct and 0% Minimal. Vent screens and roofing material matter more here than lot clearing alone.
Where Vernon ranks
Vernon's 90th-percentile standing inside Indiana outpaces its 24th national percentile — this is a hotter spot than most of its own state, even though the state as a whole runs cooler nationally. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Vernon ranks 23,943 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 23,387 by building count (1 is largest). Within Indiana alone, it ranks 100 of 967 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Indiana on its state page.
What this risk score means for insurance
At the 24th national percentile, Vernon rates moderate 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 Vernon
Vernon's 70.3% 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 Vernon's figures come from
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 242 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Vernon. The exposure-zones guide covers what Vernon's dominant indirect exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.