Latta, SC
Latta wildfire risk explained
Latta sits at the 80th 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 864 counted buildings, not vegetation cover alone. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, Latta's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 81st percentile nationally.
What "at risk" means for the buildings here
USFS puts 52.6% of Latta's 864 buildings in the Indirect exposure zone, versus 47.5% Direct and 0% Minimal — a place where the fire doesn't need to reach the structure directly for embers to.
How Latta compares
Latta's risk sits at a similar level relative to South Carolina (84th percentile statewide) as it does nationally (80th) — this place isn't unusual for its own state either way. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Latta ranks 6,378 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 13,041 by building count (1 is largest). Within South Carolina alone, it ranks 79 of 474 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for South Carolina on its state page.
Shopping for coverage in Latta
At the 80th percentile nationally, Latta 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
With ember exposure the dominant pattern in Latta (52.6% Indirect), vent screens and roofing material tend to matter more than lot clearing alone. The home-hardening guide covers both.
Where Latta's figures come from
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 864 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Latta. The exposure-zones guide covers what Latta's dominant indirect exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.