Beards Fork, WV
Beards Fork, WV's wildfire risk, in USFS's own numbers
Out of every US place USFS scores, Beards Fork lands at the 86th percentile for wildfire risk to structures — in USFS's highest wildfire-risk band nationally — a figure built from its 88 buildings, not the land around them. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Fire likelihood alone (USFS's burn-probability figure) ranks Beards Fork at the 89th national percentile — 2 points above its risk-to-structures score, a gap driven by how much is actually built there.
What "at risk" means for the buildings here
USFS classifies 100% of Beards Fork's buildings as Direct exposure, higher than its 0% Indirect share and far above its 0% Minimal share — a profile where 88 structures sit close enough to vegetation that lot clearing matters most.
Beards Fork against the rest of the country
Beards Fork's risk sits at a similar level relative to West Virginia (74th percentile statewide) as it does nationally (86th) — this place isn't unusual for its own state either way. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Beards Fork ranks 4,365 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 29,598 by building count (1 is largest). Within West Virginia alone, it ranks 110 of 429 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for West Virginia on its state page.
Shopping for coverage in Beards Fork
At the 86th percentile nationally, Beards Fork 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
Because Direct exposure dominates in Beards Fork (100%), the highest-leverage fix is defensible space, not roofing or vents alone — covered in the home-hardening guide.
More on how this number was built
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 88 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Beards Fork. For more on what direct exposure implies beyond Beards Fork, see the exposure-zones guide.