Wapato, WA
Wapato wildfire risk explained
USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities model puts Wapato at the 88th national percentile for risk to structures, in USFS's highest wildfire-risk band nationally — a score built from 1,500 actual buildings. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Fire likelihood alone (USFS's burn-probability figure) ranks Wapato at the 90th national percentile — 3 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
Indirect exposure is dominant in Wapato (80.4% of 1,500 buildings): far enough from burnable vegetation to avoid flame contact, close enough for wind-blown embers. Only 3.2% sit in the Direct zone.
Where Wapato ranks
Wapato's risk sits at a similar level relative to Washington (79th percentile statewide) as it does nationally (88th) — this place isn't unusual for its own state either way. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Wapato ranks 3,829 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 9,170 by building count (1 is largest). Within Washington alone, it ranks 134 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
Wapato's very high rating (88th percentile) puts it among the places where the national carrier-pullback trend is most relevant — not a guarantee of a coverage problem, but a reason to shop rather than assume.
What would actually reduce this score
With ember exposure the dominant pattern in Wapato (80.4% Indirect), vent screens and roofing material tend to matter more than lot clearing alone. The home-hardening guide covers both.
Where Wapato's figures come from
Every one of the two percentiles behind Wapato's 3,829-place national rank traces to USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities dataset — see the methodology guide. The exposure-zones guide covers what Wapato's dominant indirect exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.