Gurley, AL
How exposed is Gurley to wildfire?
Out of every US place USFS scores, Gurley lands at the 45th percentile for wildfire risk to structures — modestly above the national average for wildfire risk — a figure built from its 554 buildings, not the land around them. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
USFS's separate burn-probability score — fire likelihood alone, before counting what's built there — puts Gurley at the 48th percentile, close to its 45th-percentile risk score.
Gurley's building exposure, zone by zone
USFS classifies 51.8% of Gurley's buildings as Direct exposure, higher than its 48.2% Indirect share and far above its 0% Minimal share — a profile where 287 structures sit close enough to vegetation that lot clearing matters most.
Where Gurley ranks
Gurley ranks lower within Alabama (5th percentile statewide) than its 45th national percentile suggests alone — a calmer spot in a state where wildfire risk generally runs high. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Gurley ranks 17,290 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 16,513 by building count (1 is largest). Within Alabama alone, it ranks 565 of 592 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Alabama on its state page.
Shopping for coverage in Gurley
Gurley's elevated wildfire rating (45th 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.
What would actually reduce this score
Because Direct exposure dominates in Gurley (51.8%), the highest-leverage fix is defensible space, not roofing or vents alone — covered in the home-hardening guide.
More on how this number was built
Gurley's 45th-percentile score and its burn-probability figure both come from the same USFS workbook, documented in the methodology guide. For more on what direct exposure implies beyond Gurley, see the exposure-zones guide.