Gilbert Creek, WV
Gilbert Creek wildfire risk explained
Out of every US place USFS scores, Gilbert Creek lands at the 94th percentile for wildfire risk to structures — in USFS's highest wildfire-risk band nationally — a figure built from its 729 buildings, not the land around them. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Fire likelihood alone (USFS's burn-probability figure) ranks Gilbert Creek at the 96th national percentile — 2 points above its risk-to-structures score, a gap driven by how much is actually built there.
Gilbert Creek's building exposure, zone by zone
Direct exposure dominates in Gilbert Creek: 100% of its 729 buildings, versus 0% Indirect and 0% Minimal. Clearing space around a structure changes the outcome here more than any single building-material swap.
Gilbert Creek against the rest of the country
Gilbert Creek scores 94th nationally and 94th within West Virginia — close enough that its state context doesn't change the picture the national number already gives. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Gilbert Creek ranks 1,938 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 14,359 by building count (1 is largest). Within West Virginia alone, it ranks 28 of 429 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for West Virginia on its state page.
Shopping for coverage in Gilbert Creek
Gilbert Creek's very high rating (94th 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.
What would actually reduce this score
With 100% of Gilbert Creek in Direct exposure, defensible-space clearing and ember-resistant construction (vents, Class-A roofing) address the exposure this page's own numbers describe, not a generic checklist. See the home-hardening guide.
Where Gilbert Creek's figures come from
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 729 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Gilbert Creek. The exposure-zones guide covers what Gilbert Creek's dominant direct exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.