Montrose, WV
Montrose, WV's wildfire risk, in USFS's own numbers
USFS scores Montrose at the 57th national percentile for wildfire risk to structures (modestly above the national average for wildfire risk), a figure built from 115 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 56th percentile nationally.
Where Montrose's buildings actually sit
115 buildings are counted in Montrose, and 100% of them sit in USFS's Direct exposure zone — flame contact, not just ember cast, is the live possibility for most of them, against 0% rated Minimal.
How Montrose compares
There's little gap between Montrose's 57th national percentile and its 47th percentile inside West Virginia, which means the state comparison mostly confirms what the national score already shows. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Montrose ranks 13,444 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 28,432 by building count (1 is largest). Within West Virginia alone, it ranks 229 of 429 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for West Virginia on its state page.
What this risk score means for insurance
Montrose's elevated wildfire rating (57th percentile) isn't the kind of score driving the carrier pullback making news in the highest-risk Western markets — but a standard homeowners quote is still worth comparing on its own terms.
Hardening a home in Montrose
With 100% of Montrose in Direct exposure, defensible-space clearing and ember-resistant construction (vents, Class-A roofing) address the exposure this page's own numbers describe, not a generic checklist. See the home-hardening guide.
More on how this number was built
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 115 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Montrose. For more on what direct exposure implies beyond Montrose, see the exposure-zones guide.