Madison, AR
Madison wildfire risk explained
Madison sits at the 50th percentile nationally for wildfire risk to structures — modestly above the national average for wildfire risk — per USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities model, built from its 442 counted buildings, not vegetation cover alone. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
USFS's separate burn-probability score — fire likelihood alone, before counting what's built there — puts Madison at the 52nd percentile, close to its 50th-percentile risk score.
What "at risk" means for the buildings here
67.2% of Madison's 442 buildings sit in USFS's Direct exposure zone, roughly 297 structures close enough to burnable vegetation for flame contact, not just embers — 32.4% fall in the Indirect, ember-only zone and 0.5% are Minimal.
Madison against the rest of the country
Madison ranks lower within Arkansas (25th percentile statewide) than its 50th national percentile suggests alone — a calmer spot in a state where wildfire risk generally runs high. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Madison ranks 15,746 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 18,411 by building count (1 is largest). Within Arkansas alone, it ranks 458 of 614 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Arkansas on its state page.
Shopping for coverage in Madison
At the 50th national percentile, Madison 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 Madison
Madison's 67.2% 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.
More on how this number was built
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 442 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Madison. For more on what direct exposure implies beyond Madison, see the exposure-zones guide.