Elbert, CO
Elbert wildfire risk explained
USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities model puts Elbert at the 93rd national percentile for risk to structures, in USFS's highest wildfire-risk band nationally — a score built from 162 actual buildings. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, Elbert's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 93rd percentile nationally.
What "at risk" means for the buildings here
77.2% of Elbert's 162 buildings sit in USFS's Direct exposure zone, roughly 125 structures close enough to burnable vegetation for flame contact, not just embers — 22.8% fall in the Indirect, ember-only zone and 0% are Minimal.
Where Elbert ranks
Elbert's risk sits at a similar level relative to Colorado (81st percentile statewide) as it does nationally (93rd) — this place isn't unusual for its own state either way. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Elbert ranks 2,261 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 26,321 by building count (1 is largest). Within Colorado alone, it ranks 92 of 472 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Colorado on its state page.
Shopping for coverage in Elbert
At the 93rd percentile nationally, Elbert carries the very 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.
What would actually reduce this score
Elbert's 77.2% Direct-exposure share means lot clearing around the structure typically outweighs any single material upgrade here. The home-hardening guide ranks the options for a place shaped like this.
More on how this number was built
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 162 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Elbert. For more on what direct exposure implies beyond Elbert, see the exposure-zones guide.