Wainiha, HI
Wainiha wildfire risk explained
Out of every US place USFS scores, Wainiha lands at the 92nd percentile for wildfire risk to structures — in USFS's highest wildfire-risk band nationally — a figure built from its 148 buildings, not the land around them. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, Wainiha's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 89th percentile nationally.
What "at risk" means for the buildings here
77% of Wainiha's 148 buildings sit in USFS's Direct exposure zone, roughly 114 structures close enough to burnable vegetation for flame contact, not just embers — 23% fall in the Indirect, ember-only zone and 0% are Minimal.
How Wainiha compares
Wainiha ranks lower within Hawaii (57th percentile statewide) than its 92nd national percentile suggests alone — a calmer spot in a state where wildfire risk generally runs high. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Wainiha ranks 2,456 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 26,945 by building count (1 is largest). Within Hawaii alone, it ranks 71 of 163 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Hawaii on its state page.
Wainiha and the insurance market
At the 92nd percentile nationally, Wainiha 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.
Lowering exposure, not just insuring around it
Wainiha's 77% Direct-exposure share means lot clearing around the structure typically outweighs any single material upgrade here. The home-hardening guide ranks the options for a place shaped like this.
Where Wainiha's figures come from
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 148 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Wainiha. The exposure-zones guide covers what Wainiha's dominant direct exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.