McMechen, WV
McMechen, WV's wildfire risk, in USFS's own numbers
Out of every US place USFS scores, McMechen lands at the 36th percentile for wildfire risk to structures — close to the middle of USFS's national wildfire-risk range — a figure built from its 793 buildings, not the land around them. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Fire likelihood alone (USFS's burn-probability figure) ranks McMechen at the 37th national percentile — 0 points above its risk-to-structures score, a gap driven by how much is actually built there.
What "at risk" means for the buildings here
USFS puts 97% of McMechen's 793 buildings in the Indirect exposure zone, versus 3% Direct and 0% Minimal — a place where the fire doesn't need to reach the structure directly for embers to.
Where McMechen ranks
McMechen ranks lower within West Virginia (7th percentile statewide) than its 36th national percentile suggests alone — a calmer spot in a state where wildfire risk generally runs high. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, McMechen ranks 20,155 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 13,708 by building count (1 is largest). Within West Virginia alone, it ranks 400 of 429 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for West Virginia on its state page.
Shopping for coverage in McMechen
At the 36th national percentile, McMechen rates moderate for wildfire risk — well short of the threshold where insurers have been withdrawing coverage, though comparing a quote costs nothing either way.
Lowering exposure, not just insuring around it
McMechen's 97% Indirect-exposure share points at embers, not flame contact, as the main pathway — ember-resistant vents and non-combustible roofing rank ahead of defensible space here. Detail in the home-hardening guide.
More on how this number was built
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 793 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for McMechen. For more on what indirect exposure implies beyond McMechen, see the exposure-zones guide.