Howard, CO
Howard wildfire risk explained
Howard's 970 buildings earn a 90th-percentile wildfire-risk score nationally under USFS's model — in USFS's highest wildfire-risk band nationally. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, Howard's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 84th percentile nationally.
Where Howard's buildings actually sit
USFS classifies 100% of Howard's buildings as Direct exposure, higher than its 0% Indirect share and far above its 0% Minimal share — a profile where 970 structures sit close enough to vegetation that lot clearing matters most.
Where Howard ranks
Howard ranks lower within Colorado (75th percentile statewide) than its 90th national percentile suggests alone — a calmer spot in a state where wildfire risk generally runs high. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Howard ranks 3,143 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 12,149 by building count (1 is largest). Within Colorado alone, it ranks 120 of 472 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Colorado on its state page.
Howard and the insurance market
Howard's 90th-percentile, very high rating is the kind of score behind a broader national pattern: insurers pulling back from the highest wildfire-risk markets, non-renewing or declining new policies outright, most visibly in California. Shopping around, not assuming automatic renewal, tends to matter here.
Hardening a home in Howard
Because Direct exposure dominates in Howard (100%), 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
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 970 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Howard. For more on what direct exposure implies beyond Howard, see the exposure-zones guide.