Hilltop, WV
Hilltop, WV's wildfire risk, in USFS's own numbers
Out of every US place USFS scores, Hilltop lands at the 64th percentile for wildfire risk to structures — well above the national norm for wildfire risk — a figure built from its 311 buildings, not the land around them. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, Hilltop's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 66th percentile nationally.
Hilltop's building exposure, zone by zone
Direct exposure dominates in Hilltop: 63% of its 311 buildings, versus 37% Indirect and 0% Minimal. Clearing space around a structure changes the outcome here more than any single building-material swap.
How Hilltop compares
There's little gap between Hilltop's 64th national percentile and its 54th percentile inside West Virginia, which means the state comparison mostly confirms what the national score already shows. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Hilltop ranks 11,490 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 21,361 by building count (1 is largest). Within West Virginia alone, it ranks 196 of 429 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for West Virginia on its state page.
Hilltop and the insurance market
Hilltop's high rating (64th 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.
Lowering exposure, not just insuring around it
Because Direct exposure dominates in Hilltop (63%), the highest-leverage fix is defensible space, not roofing or vents alone — covered in the home-hardening guide.
Where Hilltop's figures come from
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 311 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Hilltop. The exposure-zones guide covers what Hilltop's dominant direct exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.