Ely, NV
Ely, NV's wildfire risk, in USFS's own numbers
USFS scores Ely at the 87th national percentile for wildfire risk to structures (in USFS's highest wildfire-risk band nationally), a figure built from 2,754 real buildings rather than raw vegetation cover. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, Ely's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 80th percentile nationally.
Ely's building exposure, zone by zone
95.1% of Ely's 2,754 buildings fall in USFS's Indirect exposure zone — ember cast rather than direct flame — against 4.9% Direct and 0% Minimal. Vent screens and roofing material matter more here than lot clearing alone.
How Ely compares
Ely's 87th national percentile looks worse in isolation than its 39th ranking inside Nevada does — this place is on the milder end for its own state, by 48 points. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Ely ranks 4,069 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 5,843 by building count (1 is largest). Within Nevada alone, it ranks 75 of 123 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Nevada on its state page.
What this risk score means for insurance
At the 87th percentile nationally, Ely 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.
Lowering exposure, not just insuring around it
Because 95.1% of Ely's buildings sit in the Indirect zone, sealing the ember pathway (vents, roofing, gutters) is the intervention this page's data actually supports — see the home-hardening guide.
Where Ely's figures come from
Every one of the two percentiles behind Ely's 4,069-place national rank traces to USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities dataset — see the methodology guide. The exposure-zones guide covers what Ely's dominant indirect exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.