Bigelow, AR
Bigelow wildfire risk explained
USFS scores Bigelow at the 75th national percentile for wildfire risk to structures (well above the national norm for wildfire risk), a figure built from 242 real buildings rather than raw vegetation cover. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, Bigelow's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 79th percentile nationally.
Where Bigelow's buildings actually sit
242 buildings are counted in Bigelow, and 65.7% of them sit in USFS's Direct exposure zone — flame contact, not just ember cast, is the live possibility for most of them, against 0% rated Minimal.
Where Bigelow ranks
Bigelow's risk sits at a similar level relative to Arkansas (65th percentile statewide) as it does nationally (75th) — this place isn't unusual for its own state either way. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Bigelow ranks 7,837 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 23,383 by building count (1 is largest). Within Arkansas alone, it ranks 214 of 614 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Arkansas on its state page.
Bigelow and the insurance market
At the 75th percentile nationally, Bigelow 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 Bigelow
Because Direct exposure dominates in Bigelow (65.7%), the highest-leverage fix is defensible space, not roofing or vents alone — covered in the home-hardening guide.
Where Bigelow's figures come from
Bigelow's 75th-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 Bigelow's dominant direct exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.