Alpine, CO
How exposed is Alpine to wildfire?
Alpine sits at the 70th percentile nationally for wildfire risk to structures — well above the national norm for wildfire risk — per USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities model, built from its 293 counted buildings, not vegetation cover alone. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Fire likelihood alone (USFS's burn-probability figure) ranks Alpine at the 62nd national percentile — 8 points below its risk-to-structures score, a gap driven by how much is actually built there.
Alpine's building exposure, zone by zone
USFS classifies 88.7% of Alpine's buildings as Direct exposure, higher than its 11.3% Indirect share and far above its 0% Minimal share — a profile where 260 structures sit close enough to vegetation that lot clearing matters most.
Alpine against the rest of the country
Alpine ranks lower within Colorado (38th percentile statewide) than its 70th national percentile suggests alone — a calmer spot in a state where wildfire risk generally runs high. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Alpine ranks 9,479 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 21,810 by building count (1 is largest). Within Colorado alone, it ranks 295 of 472 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Colorado on its state page.
Shopping for coverage in Alpine
Alpine's 70th-percentile, high rating is the kind of score behind a broader national pattern: insurers pulling back from the highest wildfire-risk markets, non-renewing or declining new policies outright, most visibly in California. Shopping around, not assuming automatic renewal, tends to matter here.
Lowering exposure, not just insuring around it
Because Direct exposure dominates in Alpine (88.7%), the highest-leverage fix is defensible space, not roofing or vents alone — covered in the home-hardening guide.
Where Alpine's figures come from
Alpine's 70th-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 Alpine's dominant direct exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.