Chesapeake, WV
Chesapeake wildfire risk explained
Chesapeake sits at the 90th percentile nationally for wildfire risk to structures — in USFS's highest wildfire-risk band nationally — per USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities model, built from its 870 counted buildings, not vegetation cover alone. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Fire likelihood alone (USFS's burn-probability figure) ranks Chesapeake at the 91st national percentile — 2 points above its risk-to-structures score, a gap driven by how much is actually built there.
Chesapeake's building exposure, zone by zone
870 buildings are counted in Chesapeake, and 98.7% of them are Indirect exposure — ember-driven risk rather than the 0.8% in Direct exposure or the 0.5% rated Minimal.
Where Chesapeake ranks
Chesapeake's risk sits at a similar level relative to West Virginia (81st percentile statewide) as it does nationally (90th) — this place isn't unusual for its own state either way. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Chesapeake ranks 3,262 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 12,994 by building count (1 is largest). Within West Virginia alone, it ranks 84 of 429 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for West Virginia on its state page.
Chesapeake and the insurance market
Chesapeake's very high rating (90th 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 Chesapeake
Chesapeake's 98.7% Indirect-exposure share points at embers, not flame contact, as the main pathway — ember-resistant vents and non-combustible roofing rank ahead of defensible space here. Detail in the home-hardening guide.
Where Chesapeake's figures come from
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 870 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Chesapeake. The exposure-zones guide covers what Chesapeake's dominant indirect exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.