Despard, WV
Despard, WV's wildfire risk, in USFS's own numbers
Despard's 573 buildings earn a 32nd-percentile wildfire-risk score nationally under USFS's model — close to the middle of USFS's national wildfire-risk range. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, Despard's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 32nd percentile nationally.
What "at risk" means for the buildings here
573 buildings are counted in Despard, and 75.4% of them are Indirect exposure — ember-driven risk rather than the 24.6% in Direct exposure or the 0% rated Minimal.
Despard against the rest of the country
Despard's 32nd national percentile looks worse in isolation than its 1st ranking inside West Virginia does — this place is on the milder end for its own state, by 30 points. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Despard ranks 21,541 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 16,204 by building count (1 is largest). Within West Virginia alone, it ranks 423 of 429 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for West Virginia on its state page.
Shopping for coverage in Despard
Despard's moderate wildfire rating (32nd percentile) isn't the kind of score driving the carrier pullback making news in the highest-risk Western markets — but a standard homeowners quote is still worth comparing on its own terms.
Hardening a home in Despard
With ember exposure the dominant pattern in Despard (75.4% 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 573 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Despard. For more on what indirect exposure implies beyond Despard, see the exposure-zones guide.