Alma, AR
Alma wildfire risk explained
Alma sits at the 89th percentile nationally for wildfire risk to structures — in USFS's highest wildfire-risk band nationally — per USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities model, built from its 2,436 counted buildings, not vegetation cover alone. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Fire likelihood alone (USFS's burn-probability figure) ranks Alma at the 92nd national percentile — 3 points above its risk-to-structures score, a gap driven by how much is actually built there.
Where Alma's buildings actually sit
Indirect exposure is dominant in Alma (67.5% of 2,436 buildings): far enough from burnable vegetation to avoid flame contact, close enough for wind-blown embers. Only 32.6% sit in the Direct zone.
How Alma compares
Alma scores 89th nationally and 98th within Arkansas — close enough that its state context doesn't change the picture the national number already gives. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Alma ranks 3,392 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 6,427 by building count (1 is largest). Within Arkansas alone, it ranks 13 of 614 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Arkansas on its state page.
Shopping for coverage in Alma
At the 89th percentile nationally, Alma 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
Alma's 67.5% 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 Alma's figures come from
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 2,436 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Alma. The exposure-zones guide covers what Alma's dominant indirect exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.