Chester, GA
Chester wildfire risk explained
USFS scores Chester at the 63rd national percentile for wildfire risk to structures (well above the national norm for wildfire risk), a figure built from 222 real buildings rather than raw vegetation cover. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
USFS's separate burn-probability score — fire likelihood alone, before counting what's built there — puts Chester at the 63rd percentile, close to its 63rd-percentile risk score.
What "at risk" means for the buildings here
222 buildings are counted in Chester, and 51.8% 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.
Chester against the rest of the country
Chester's 63rd national percentile looks worse in isolation than its 29th ranking inside Georgia does — this place is on the milder end for its own state, by 33 points. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Chester ranks 11,811 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 24,045 by building count (1 is largest). Within Georgia alone, it ranks 473 of 669 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Georgia on its state page.
Shopping for coverage in Chester
At the 63rd percentile nationally, Chester 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.
Lowering exposure, not just insuring around it
Because Direct exposure dominates in Chester (51.8%), the highest-leverage fix is defensible space, not roofing or vents alone — covered in the home-hardening guide.
Where Chester's figures come from
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 222 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Chester. The exposure-zones guide covers what Chester's dominant direct exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.