Montrose, GA
Montrose wildfire risk explained
USFS scores Montrose at the 61st national percentile for wildfire risk to structures (well above the national norm for wildfire risk), a figure built from 156 real buildings rather than raw vegetation cover. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, Montrose's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 61st percentile nationally.
Montrose's building exposure, zone by zone
Direct exposure dominates in Montrose: 77.6% of its 156 buildings, versus 22.4% Indirect and 0% Minimal. Clearing space around a structure changes the outcome here more than any single building-material swap.
Montrose against the rest of the country
Montrose's 61st national percentile looks worse in isolation than its 24th ranking inside Georgia does — this place is on the milder end for its own state, by 38 points. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Montrose ranks 12,224 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 26,606 by building count (1 is largest). Within Georgia alone, it ranks 511 of 669 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Georgia on its state page.
Shopping for coverage in Montrose
At the 61st percentile nationally, Montrose 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.
Hardening a home in Montrose
Because Direct exposure dominates in Montrose (77.6%), the highest-leverage fix is defensible space, not roofing or vents alone — covered in the home-hardening guide.
More on how this number was built
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 156 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Montrose. For more on what direct exposure implies beyond Montrose, see the exposure-zones guide.