Lanham, MD
Lanham wildfire risk explained
USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities model puts Lanham at the 28th national percentile for risk to structures, close to the middle of USFS's national wildfire-risk range — a score built from 3,406 actual buildings. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, Lanham's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 28th percentile nationally.
What "at risk" means for the buildings here
Most of Lanham's buildings (75.5% of 3,406) fall outside USFS's Direct and Indirect zones entirely — that doesn't zero out the score above, it means the risk is regional, not structure-by-structure.
Where Lanham ranks
Lanham's risk sits at a similar level relative to Maryland (42nd percentile statewide) as it does nationally (28th) — this place isn't unusual for its own state either way. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Lanham ranks 22,813 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 4,914 by building count (1 is largest). Within Maryland alone, it ranks 308 of 527 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Maryland on its state page.
Lanham and the insurance market
Lanham's moderate rating (28th percentile nationally) sits outside the range where wildfire risk alone reshapes an insurance market — still, a homeowner here loses nothing by comparing rates.
Hardening a home in Lanham
Even with 75.5% of Lanham outside USFS's Direct and Indirect zones, basic hardening — gutter maintenance, ember-resistant vents — is inexpensive relative to the regional burn-probability risk noted above. Details in the home-hardening guide.
Where Lanham's figures come from
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 3,406 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Lanham. The exposure-zones guide covers what Lanham's dominant minimal exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.