Mertens, TX
How exposed is Mertens to wildfire?
Mertens's 123 buildings earn a 60th-percentile wildfire-risk score nationally under USFS's model — modestly above the national average for wildfire risk. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Fire likelihood alone (USFS's burn-probability figure) ranks Mertens at the 58th national percentile — 2 points below its risk-to-structures score, a gap driven by how much is actually built there.
Where Mertens's buildings actually sit
Most of Mertens's buildings (67.5% of 123) 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.
How Mertens compares
Mertens ranks lower within Texas (14th percentile statewide) than its 60th national percentile suggests alone — a calmer spot in a state where wildfire risk generally runs high. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Mertens ranks 12,687 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 28,039 by building count (1 is largest). Within Texas alone, it ranks 1,550 of 1,795 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Texas on its state page.
Shopping for coverage in Mertens
At the 60th national percentile, Mertens 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 Mertens
Mertens's 67.5% Minimal-exposure share means structure-level hardening matters less here than it would elsewhere — still worth the low-cost basics, per the home-hardening guide.
Where Mertens's figures come from
Every one of the two percentiles behind Mertens's 12,687-place national rank traces to USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities dataset — see the methodology guide. The exposure-zones guide covers what Mertens's dominant minimal exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.