Lake Wylie, SC
How exposed is Lake Wylie to wildfire?
USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities model puts Lake Wylie at the 53rd national percentile for risk to structures, modestly above the national average for wildfire risk — a score built from 4,160 actual buildings. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Fire likelihood alone (USFS's burn-probability figure) ranks Lake Wylie at the 56th national percentile — 3 points above its risk-to-structures score, a gap driven by how much is actually built there.
Where Lake Wylie's buildings actually sit
Direct exposure dominates in Lake Wylie: 62.9% of its 4,160 buildings, versus 31.3% Indirect and 5.8% Minimal. Clearing space around a structure changes the outcome here more than any single building-material swap.
Lake Wylie against the rest of the country
Lake Wylie ranks lower within South Carolina (7th percentile statewide) than its 53rd national percentile suggests alone — a calmer spot in a state where wildfire risk generally runs high. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Lake Wylie ranks 14,794 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 4,095 by building count (1 is largest). Within South Carolina alone, it ranks 441 of 474 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for South Carolina on its state page.
Shopping for coverage in Lake Wylie
At the 53rd national percentile, Lake Wylie rates elevated for wildfire risk — well short of the threshold where insurers have been withdrawing coverage, though comparing a quote costs nothing either way.
Hardening a home in Lake Wylie
Lake Wylie's 62.9% Direct-exposure share means lot clearing around the structure typically outweighs any single material upgrade here. The home-hardening guide ranks the options for a place shaped like this.
Where Lake Wylie's figures come from
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 4,160 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Lake Wylie. The exposure-zones guide covers what Lake Wylie's dominant direct exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.