Chester, VA
Chester wildfire risk explained
Out of every US place USFS scores, Chester lands at the 39th percentile for wildfire risk to structures — close to the middle of USFS's national wildfire-risk range — a figure built from its 8,986 buildings, not the land around them. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, Chester's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 39th percentile nationally.
What "at risk" means for the buildings here
USFS classifies 61.8% of Chester's buildings as Direct exposure, higher than its 38% Indirect share and far above its 0.2% Minimal share — a profile where 5,552 structures sit close enough to vegetation that lot clearing matters most. At 8,986 buildings, this is a substantial built environment, so the shares below describe a real population of structures, not a handful of edge cases.
How Chester compares
Chester's risk sits at a similar level relative to Virginia (30th percentile statewide) as it does nationally (39th) — this place isn't unusual for its own state either way. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Chester ranks 19,366 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 1,850 by building count (1 is largest). Within Virginia alone, it ranks 476 of 681 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Virginia on its state page.
Chester and the insurance market
At the 39th national percentile, Chester rates moderate for wildfire risk — well short of the threshold where insurers have been withdrawing coverage, though comparing a quote costs nothing either way.
What would actually reduce this score
Because Direct exposure dominates in Chester (61.8%), the highest-leverage fix is defensible space, not roofing or vents alone — covered in the home-hardening guide.
More on how this number was built
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 8,986 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Chester. For more on what direct exposure implies beyond Chester, see the exposure-zones guide.