Columbus, TX
Columbus wildfire risk explained
Columbus's 2,076 buildings earn a 65th-percentile wildfire-risk score nationally under USFS's model — well above the national norm for wildfire risk. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, Columbus's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 67th percentile nationally.
Where Columbus's buildings actually sit
Indirect exposure is dominant in Columbus (74.1% of 2,076 buildings): far enough from burnable vegetation to avoid flame contact, close enough for wind-blown embers. Only 25.9% sit in the Direct zone.
Columbus against the rest of the country
Columbus's 65th national percentile looks worse in isolation than its 22nd ranking inside Texas does — this place is on the milder end for its own state, by 44 points. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Columbus ranks 10,919 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 7,268 by building count (1 is largest). Within Texas alone, it ranks 1,406 of 1,795 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Texas on its state page.
Shopping for coverage in Columbus
At the 65th percentile nationally, Columbus 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
With ember exposure the dominant pattern in Columbus (74.1% Indirect), vent screens and roofing material tend to matter more than lot clearing alone. The home-hardening guide covers both.
More on how this number was built
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 2,076 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Columbus. For more on what indirect exposure implies beyond Columbus, see the exposure-zones guide.