Free Union, VA
How exposed is Free Union to wildfire?
Out of every US place USFS scores, Free Union lands at the 52nd percentile for wildfire risk to structures — modestly above the national average for wildfire risk — a figure built from its 168 buildings, not the land around them. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, Free Union's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 52nd percentile nationally.
Free Union's building exposure, zone by zone
Direct exposure dominates in Free Union: 100% of its 168 buildings, versus 0% Indirect and 0% Minimal. Clearing space around a structure changes the outcome here more than any single building-material swap.
Where Free Union ranks
Free Union's risk sits at a similar level relative to Virginia (56th percentile statewide) as it does nationally (52nd) — this place isn't unusual for its own state either way. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Free Union ranks 15,209 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 26,116 by building count (1 is largest). Within Virginia alone, it ranks 301 of 681 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Virginia on its state page.
Shopping for coverage in Free Union
Free Union's elevated wildfire rating (52nd 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 Free Union
Because Direct exposure dominates in Free Union (100%), the highest-leverage fix is defensible space, not roofing or vents alone — covered in the home-hardening guide.
Where Free Union's figures come from
Every one of the two percentiles behind Free Union's 15,209-place national rank traces to USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities dataset — see the methodology guide. The exposure-zones guide covers what Free Union's dominant direct exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.