Hico, WV
Hico wildfire risk explained
USFS scores Hico at the 78th national percentile for wildfire risk to structures (well above the national norm for wildfire risk), a figure built from 268 real buildings rather than raw vegetation cover. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, Hico's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 79th percentile nationally.
Where Hico's buildings actually sit
268 buildings are counted in Hico, and 70.2% of them sit in USFS's Direct exposure zone — flame contact, not just ember cast, is the live possibility for most of them, against 0% rated Minimal.
Hico against the rest of the country
Hico scores 78th nationally and 71st 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, Hico ranks 6,888 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 22,595 by building count (1 is largest). Within West Virginia alone, it ranks 127 of 429 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for West Virginia on its state page.
Shopping for coverage in Hico
At the 78th percentile nationally, Hico carries the high rating that has pushed some carriers to limit new business in similarly-scored places elsewhere in the country. Worth comparing quotes rather than assuming last year's renewal terms still apply.
Hardening a home in Hico
With 70.2% of Hico 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.
More on how this number was built
Hico's 78th-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 Hico, see the exposure-zones guide.