Jefferson, WV
Jefferson wildfire risk explained
Jefferson sits at the 64th percentile nationally for wildfire risk to structures — well above the national norm for wildfire risk — per USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities model, built from its 378 counted buildings, not vegetation cover alone. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Fire likelihood alone (USFS's burn-probability figure) ranks Jefferson at the 66th national percentile — 2 points above its risk-to-structures score, a gap driven by how much is actually built there.
What "at risk" means for the buildings here
Indirect exposure is dominant in Jefferson (97.1% of 378 buildings): far enough from burnable vegetation to avoid flame contact, close enough for wind-blown embers. Only 2.4% sit in the Direct zone.
Where Jefferson ranks
Jefferson's risk sits at a similar level relative to West Virginia (56th percentile statewide) as it does nationally (64th) — this place isn't unusual for its own state either way. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Jefferson ranks 11,300 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 19,708 by building count (1 is largest). Within West Virginia alone, it ranks 187 of 429 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for West Virginia on its state page.
What this risk score means for insurance
Jefferson's 64th-percentile, 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 Jefferson
Jefferson's 97.1% 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 Jefferson's figures come from
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 378 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Jefferson. The exposure-zones guide covers what Jefferson's dominant indirect exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.