Keowee Key, SC
Keowee Key, SC's wildfire risk, in USFS's own numbers
Keowee Key sits at the 72nd 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 1,765 counted buildings, not vegetation cover alone. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, Keowee Key's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 75th percentile nationally.
Where Keowee Key's buildings actually sit
USFS classifies 80.6% of Keowee Key's buildings as Direct exposure, higher than its 9.9% Indirect share and far above its 9.5% Minimal share — a profile where 1,422 structures sit close enough to vegetation that lot clearing matters most.
How Keowee Key compares
There's little gap between Keowee Key's 72nd national percentile and its 65th percentile inside South Carolina, which means the state comparison mostly confirms what the national score already shows. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Keowee Key ranks 8,833 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 8,179 by building count (1 is largest). Within South Carolina alone, it ranks 168 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
At the 72nd percentile nationally, Keowee Key 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.
What would actually reduce this score
Because Direct exposure dominates in Keowee Key (80.6%), the highest-leverage fix is defensible space, not roofing or vents alone — covered in the home-hardening guide.
Where Keowee Key's figures come from
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 1,765 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Keowee Key. The exposure-zones guide covers what Keowee Key's dominant direct exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.