Watchtower, NY
How exposed is Watchtower to wildfire?
Watchtower's 88 buildings earn a 50th-percentile wildfire-risk score nationally under USFS's model — modestly above the national average for wildfire risk. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, Watchtower's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 52nd percentile nationally.
Where Watchtower's buildings actually sit
Indirect exposure is dominant in Watchtower (55.7% of 88 buildings): far enough from burnable vegetation to avoid flame contact, close enough for wind-blown embers. Only 44.3% sit in the Direct zone.
Watchtower against the rest of the country
Compare Watchtower's two percentiles: 95th within New York, only 50th nationally — a gap of 45 points that marks it as unusually exposed for its own state. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Watchtower ranks 15,672 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 29,584 by building count (1 is largest). Within New York alone, it ranks 68 of 1,289 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for New York on its state page.
Shopping for coverage in Watchtower
Watchtower's elevated rating (50th percentile nationally) sits outside the range where wildfire risk alone reshapes an insurance market — still, a homeowner here loses nothing by comparing rates.
Lowering exposure, not just insuring around it
With ember exposure the dominant pattern in Watchtower (55.7% Indirect), vent screens and roofing material tend to matter more than lot clearing alone. The home-hardening guide covers both.
Where Watchtower's figures come from
Every one of the two percentiles behind Watchtower's 15,672-place national rank traces to USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities dataset — see the methodology guide. The exposure-zones guide covers what Watchtower's dominant indirect exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.