Old Fort, NC
How exposed is Old Fort to wildfire?
Old Fort sits at the 74th percentile nationally for wildfire risk to structures — well above the national norm for wildfire risk — per USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities model, built from its 681 counted buildings, not vegetation cover alone. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, Old Fort's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 75th percentile nationally.
Where Old Fort's buildings actually sit
Direct exposure dominates in Old Fort: 51.5% of its 681 buildings, versus 48.5% Indirect and 0% Minimal. Clearing space around a structure changes the outcome here more than any single building-material swap.
Old Fort against the rest of the country
There's little gap between Old Fort's 74th national percentile and its 75th percentile inside North Carolina, which means the state comparison mostly confirms what the national score already shows. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Old Fort ranks 8,198 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 14,852 by building count (1 is largest). Within North Carolina alone, it ranks 191 of 772 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for North Carolina on its state page.
Shopping for coverage in Old Fort
At the 74th percentile nationally, Old Fort 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.
What would actually reduce this score
Because Direct exposure dominates in Old Fort (51.5%), the highest-leverage fix is defensible space, not roofing or vents alone — covered in the home-hardening guide.
Where Old Fort's figures come from
Every one of the two percentiles behind Old Fort's 8,198-place national rank traces to USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities dataset — see the methodology guide. The exposure-zones guide covers what Old Fort's dominant direct exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.