Dahlgren, VA
Dahlgren wildfire risk explained
Dahlgren sits at the 44th percentile nationally for wildfire risk to structures — modestly above the national average for wildfire risk — per USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities model, built from its 1,141 counted buildings, not vegetation cover alone. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Fire likelihood alone (USFS's burn-probability figure) ranks Dahlgren at the 42nd national percentile — 1 points below its risk-to-structures score, a gap driven by how much is actually built there.
Dahlgren's building exposure, zone by zone
1,141 buildings are counted in Dahlgren, and 51% of them sit in USFS's Direct exposure zone — flame contact, not just ember cast, is the live possibility for most of them, against 2% rated Minimal.
Dahlgren against the rest of the country
Dahlgren's risk sits at a similar level relative to Virginia (41st percentile statewide) as it does nationally (44th) — this place isn't unusual for its own state either way. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Dahlgren ranks 17,730 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 11,012 by building count (1 is largest). Within Virginia alone, it ranks 405 of 681 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Virginia on its state page.
What this risk score means for insurance
Dahlgren's elevated rating (44th percentile nationally) sits outside the range where wildfire risk alone reshapes an insurance market — still, a homeowner here loses nothing by comparing rates.
What would actually reduce this score
Because Direct exposure dominates in Dahlgren (51%), the highest-leverage fix is defensible space, not roofing or vents alone — covered in the home-hardening guide.
Where Dahlgren's figures come from
Dahlgren's 44th-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 Dahlgren's dominant direct exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.