James Island, SC
James Island, SC's wildfire risk, in USFS's own numbers
USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities model puts James Island at the 85th national percentile for risk to structures, in USFS's highest wildfire-risk band nationally — a score built from 5,912 actual buildings. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, James Island's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 78th percentile nationally.
What "at risk" means for the buildings here
50.4% of James Island's 5,912 buildings sit in USFS's Direct exposure zone, roughly 2,977 structures close enough to burnable vegetation for flame contact, not just embers — 40.1% fall in the Indirect, ember-only zone and 9.6% are Minimal. At 5,912 buildings, this is a substantial built environment, so the shares below describe a real population of structures, not a handful of edge cases.
How James Island compares
James Island scores 85th nationally and 92nd within South Carolina — close enough that its state context doesn't change the picture the national number already gives. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, James Island ranks 4,645 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 2,913 by building count (1 is largest). Within South Carolina alone, it ranks 37 of 474 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for South Carolina on its state page.
What this risk score means for insurance
James Island's very high rating (85th 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.
What would actually reduce this score
With 50.4% of James Island 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.
Where James Island's figures come from
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 5,912 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for James Island. The exposure-zones guide covers what James Island's dominant direct exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.