Pelican Bay, TX
Pelican Bay wildfire risk explained
USFS scores Pelican Bay at the 73rd national percentile for wildfire risk to structures (well above the national norm for wildfire risk), a figure built from 760 real buildings rather than raw vegetation cover. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, Pelican Bay's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 73rd percentile nationally.
What "at risk" means for the buildings here
USFS classifies 54.3% of Pelican Bay's buildings as Direct exposure, higher than its 0% Indirect share and far above its 45.7% Minimal share — a profile where 413 structures sit close enough to vegetation that lot clearing matters most.
Pelican Bay against the rest of the country
Pelican Bay ranks lower within Texas (39th percentile statewide) than its 73rd national percentile suggests alone — a calmer spot in a state where wildfire risk generally runs high. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Pelican Bay ranks 8,524 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 14,022 by building count (1 is largest). Within Texas alone, it ranks 1,094 of 1,795 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Texas on its state page.
Pelican Bay and the insurance market
Pelican Bay's high rating (73rd percentile) puts it among the places where the national carrier-pullback trend is most relevant — not a guarantee of a coverage problem, but a reason to shop rather than assume.
Lowering exposure, not just insuring around it
Because Direct exposure dominates in Pelican Bay (54.3%), the highest-leverage fix is defensible space, not roofing or vents alone — covered in the home-hardening guide.
Where Pelican Bay's figures come from
Pelican Bay's 73rd-percentile score and its burn-probability figure both come from the same USFS workbook, documented in the methodology guide. The exposure-zones guide covers what Pelican Bay's dominant direct exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.