Webster, MA
Webster wildfire risk explained
Webster sits at the 27th percentile nationally for wildfire risk to structures — close to the middle of USFS's national wildfire-risk range — per USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities model, built from its 3,838 counted buildings, not vegetation cover alone. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, Webster's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 24th percentile nationally.
Webster's building exposure, zone by zone
Indirect exposure is dominant in Webster (89.7% of 3,838 buildings): far enough from burnable vegetation to avoid flame contact, close enough for wind-blown embers. Only 10.3% sit in the Direct zone.
Webster against the rest of the country
Within Massachusetts, Webster ranks higher (57th percentile) than it does nationally (27th) — one of the more fire-exposed places in a state that, overall, scores lower than that. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Webster ranks 23,070 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 4,389 by building count (1 is largest). Within Massachusetts alone, it ranks 108 of 248 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Massachusetts on its state page.
What this risk score means for insurance
Webster's moderate wildfire rating (27th percentile) isn't the kind of score driving the carrier pullback making news in the highest-risk Western markets — but a standard homeowners quote is still worth comparing on its own terms.
Lowering exposure, not just insuring around it
Webster's 89.7% 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 Webster's figures come from
Webster's 27th-percentile score and its burn-probability figure both come from the same USFS workbook, documented in the methodology guide. The exposure-zones guide covers what Webster's dominant indirect exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.