Dayton, AL
Dayton wildfire risk explained
Dayton's 42 buildings earn a 60th-percentile wildfire-risk score nationally under USFS's model — modestly above the national average for wildfire risk. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
USFS's separate burn-probability score — fire likelihood alone, before counting what's built there — puts Dayton at the 62nd percentile, close to its 60th-percentile risk score.
What "at risk" means for the buildings here
100% of Dayton's 42 buildings sit in USFS's Direct exposure zone, roughly 42 structures close enough to burnable vegetation for flame contact, not just embers — 0% fall in the Indirect, ember-only zone and 0% are Minimal.
Where Dayton ranks
Dayton ranks lower within Alabama (25th percentile statewide) than its 60th national percentile suggests alone — a calmer spot in a state where wildfire risk generally runs high. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Dayton ranks 12,688 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 31,106 by building count (1 is largest). Within Alabama alone, it ranks 443 of 592 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Alabama on its state page.
What this risk score means for insurance
Dayton's elevated rating (60th percentile nationally) sits outside the range where wildfire risk alone reshapes an insurance market — still, a homeowner here loses nothing by comparing rates.
Lowering exposure, not just insuring around it
With 100% of Dayton in Direct exposure, defensible-space clearing and ember-resistant construction (vents, Class-A roofing) address the exposure this page's own numbers describe, not a generic checklist. See the home-hardening guide.
Where Dayton's figures come from
Every one of the two percentiles behind Dayton's 12,688-place national rank traces to USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities dataset — see the methodology guide. The exposure-zones guide covers what Dayton's dominant direct exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.