Henderson, WV
Henderson wildfire risk explained
Out of every US place USFS scores, Henderson lands at the 40th percentile for wildfire risk to structures — close to the middle of USFS's national wildfire-risk range — a figure built from its 221 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 Henderson at the 41st percentile, close to its 40th-percentile risk score.
Henderson's building exposure, zone by zone
Indirect exposure is dominant in Henderson (93.7% of 221 buildings): far enough from burnable vegetation to avoid flame contact, close enough for wind-blown embers. Only 5% sit in the Direct zone.
How Henderson compares
Henderson ranks lower within West Virginia (14th percentile statewide) than its 40th national percentile suggests alone — a calmer spot in a state where wildfire risk generally runs high. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Henderson ranks 18,988 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 24,105 by building count (1 is largest). Within West Virginia alone, it ranks 370 of 429 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for West Virginia on its state page.
Henderson and the insurance market
Henderson's moderate rating (40th percentile nationally) sits outside the range where wildfire risk alone reshapes an insurance market — still, a homeowner here loses nothing by comparing rates.
What would actually reduce this score
Henderson's 93.7% Indirect-exposure share points at embers, not flame contact, as the main pathway — ember-resistant vents and non-combustible roofing rank ahead of defensible space here. Detail in the home-hardening guide.
Where Henderson's figures come from
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 221 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Henderson. The exposure-zones guide covers what Henderson's dominant indirect exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.