Altus, AR
How exposed is Altus to wildfire?
USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities model puts Altus at the 79th national percentile for risk to structures, well above the national norm for wildfire risk — a score built from 444 actual buildings. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, Altus's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 83rd percentile nationally.
What "at risk" means for the buildings here
84% of Altus's 444 buildings sit in USFS's Direct exposure zone, roughly 373 structures close enough to burnable vegetation for flame contact, not just embers — 16% fall in the Indirect, ember-only zone and 0% are Minimal.
How Altus compares
Altus's risk sits at a similar level relative to Arkansas (76th percentile statewide) as it does nationally (79th) — this place isn't unusual for its own state either way. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Altus ranks 6,701 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 18,374 by building count (1 is largest). Within Arkansas alone, it ranks 148 of 614 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Arkansas on its state page.
What this risk score means for insurance
At the 79th percentile nationally, Altus carries the 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.
Hardening a home in Altus
Because Direct exposure dominates in Altus (84%), the highest-leverage fix is defensible space, not roofing or vents alone — covered in the home-hardening guide.
Where Altus's figures come from
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 444 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Altus. The exposure-zones guide covers what Altus's dominant direct exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.