Elko, SC
How exposed is Elko to wildfire?
USFS scores Elko at the 72nd national percentile for wildfire risk to structures (well above the national norm for wildfire risk), a figure built from 177 real buildings rather than raw vegetation cover. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, Elko's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 71st percentile nationally.
Where Elko's buildings actually sit
50.8% of Elko's 177 buildings fall in USFS's Indirect exposure zone — ember cast rather than direct flame — against 49.2% Direct and 0% Minimal. Vent screens and roofing material matter more here than lot clearing alone.
Elko against the rest of the country
There's little gap between Elko's 72nd national percentile and its 65th percentile inside South Carolina, which means the state comparison mostly confirms what the national score already shows. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Elko ranks 8,776 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 25,762 by building count (1 is largest). Within South Carolina alone, it ranks 163 of 474 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for South Carolina on its state page.
Shopping for coverage in Elko
Elko's high rating (72nd percentile) puts it among the places where the national carrier-pullback trend is most relevant — not a guarantee of a coverage problem, but a reason to shop rather than assume.
Lowering exposure, not just insuring around it
With ember exposure the dominant pattern in Elko (50.8% Indirect), vent screens and roofing material tend to matter more than lot clearing alone. The home-hardening guide covers both.
Where Elko's figures come from
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 177 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Elko. The exposure-zones guide covers what Elko's dominant indirect exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.