Bernice, LA
Bernice wildfire risk explained
Bernice sits at the 46th percentile nationally for wildfire risk to structures — modestly above the national average for wildfire risk — per USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities model, built from its 832 counted buildings, not vegetation cover alone. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, Bernice's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 47th percentile nationally.
What "at risk" means for the buildings here
Indirect exposure is dominant in Bernice (56.5% of 832 buildings): far enough from burnable vegetation to avoid flame contact, close enough for wind-blown embers. Only 43.5% sit in the Direct zone.
How Bernice compares
Bernice scores 46th nationally and 49th within Louisiana — close enough that its state context doesn't change the picture the national number already gives. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Bernice ranks 16,926 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 13,324 by building count (1 is largest). Within Louisiana alone, it ranks 246 of 488 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Louisiana on its state page.
What this risk score means for insurance
At the 46th national percentile, Bernice rates elevated for wildfire risk — well short of the threshold where insurers have been withdrawing coverage, though comparing a quote costs nothing either way.
Lowering exposure, not just insuring around it
Because 56.5% of Bernice's buildings sit in the Indirect zone, sealing the ember pathway (vents, roofing, gutters) is the intervention this page's data actually supports — see the home-hardening guide.
More on how this number was built
Every one of the two percentiles behind Bernice's 16,926-place national rank traces to USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities dataset — see the methodology guide. For more on what indirect exposure implies beyond Bernice, see the exposure-zones guide.