Hedgesville, WV
Hedgesville wildfire risk explained
USFS scores Hedgesville at the 44th national percentile for wildfire risk to structures (modestly above the national average for wildfire risk), a figure built from 148 real buildings rather than raw vegetation cover. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, Hedgesville's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 45th percentile nationally.
What "at risk" means for the buildings here
Indirect exposure is dominant in Hedgesville (71.6% of 148 buildings): far enough from burnable vegetation to avoid flame contact, close enough for wind-blown embers. Only 28.4% sit in the Direct zone.
Hedgesville against the rest of the country
Hedgesville ranks lower within West Virginia (26th percentile statewide) than its 44th national percentile suggests alone — a calmer spot in a state where wildfire risk generally runs high. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Hedgesville ranks 17,603 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 26,975 by building count (1 is largest). Within West Virginia alone, it ranks 315 of 429 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for West Virginia on its state page.
What this risk score means for insurance
At the 44th national percentile, Hedgesville rates elevated for wildfire risk — well short of the threshold where insurers have been withdrawing coverage, though comparing a quote costs nothing either way.
What would actually reduce this score
Because 71.6% of Hedgesville'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.
More on how this number was built
Every one of the two percentiles behind Hedgesville's 17,603-place national rank traces to USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities dataset — see the methodology guide. For more on what indirect exposure implies beyond Hedgesville, see the exposure-zones guide.