WildfireRiskFinder

Montross, VA

Montross, VA's wildfire risk, in USFS's own numbers

Moderate
38thpercentile nationally

USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities model puts Montross at the 38th national percentile for risk to structures, close to the middle of USFS's national wildfire-risk range — a score built from 346 actual buildings. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)

Separately from the risk score above, Montross's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 39th percentile nationally.

Where Montross's buildings actually sit

346Total buildings
63.6%Direct exposure
36.4%Indirect exposure
0%Minimal exposure

USFS classifies 63.6% of Montross's buildings as Direct exposure, higher than its 36.4% Indirect share and far above its 0% Minimal share — a profile where 220 structures sit close enough to vegetation that lot clearing matters most.

Where Montross ranks

Montross's risk sits at a similar level relative to Virginia (30th percentile statewide) as it does nationally (38th) — this place isn't unusual for its own state either way. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Montross ranks 19,496 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 20,439 by building count (1 is largest). Within Virginia alone, it ranks 480 of 681 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Virginia on its state page.

Montross and the insurance market

Montross's moderate wildfire rating (38th 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.

What would actually reduce this score

Because Direct exposure dominates in Montross (63.6%), the highest-leverage fix is defensible space, not roofing or vents alone — covered in the home-hardening guide.

Where Montross's figures come from

Every one of the two percentiles behind Montross's 19,496-place national rank traces to USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities dataset — see the methodology guide. The exposure-zones guide covers what Montross's dominant direct exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.