Carlyss, LA
Carlyss wildfire risk explained
USFS scores Carlyss at the 80th national percentile for wildfire risk to structures (well above the national norm for wildfire risk), a figure built from 3,478 real buildings rather than raw vegetation cover. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, Carlyss's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 81st percentile nationally.
What "at risk" means for the buildings here
41% of Carlyss's 3,478 buildings sit in USFS's Direct exposure zone, roughly 1,426 structures close enough to burnable vegetation for flame contact, not just embers — 25.3% fall in the Indirect, ember-only zone and 33.7% are Minimal.
Carlyss against the rest of the country
Carlyss's risk sits at a similar level relative to Louisiana (92nd percentile statewide) as it does nationally (80th) — this place isn't unusual for its own state either way. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Carlyss ranks 6,332 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 4,796 by building count (1 is largest). Within Louisiana alone, it ranks 39 of 488 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Louisiana on its state page.
Carlyss and the insurance market
Carlyss's high rating (80th percentile) puts it among the places where the national carrier-pullback trend is most relevant — not a guarantee of a coverage problem, but a reason to shop rather than assume.
Hardening a home in Carlyss
Because Direct exposure dominates in Carlyss (41%), the highest-leverage fix is defensible space, not roofing or vents alone — covered in the home-hardening guide.
Where Carlyss's figures come from
Carlyss's 80th-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 Carlyss's dominant direct exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.