Penhook, VA
Penhook, VA's wildfire risk, in USFS's own numbers
Penhook's 1,038 buildings earn a 43rd-percentile wildfire-risk score nationally under USFS's model — modestly above the national average for wildfire risk. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
USFS's separate burn-probability score — fire likelihood alone, before counting what's built there — puts Penhook at the 44th percentile, close to its 43rd-percentile risk score.
Where Penhook's buildings actually sit
1,038 buildings are counted in Penhook, and 69.2% of them sit in USFS's Direct exposure zone — flame contact, not just ember cast, is the live possibility for most of them, against 14.8% rated Minimal.
Penhook against the rest of the country
There's little gap between Penhook's 43rd national percentile and its 38th percentile inside Virginia, which means the state comparison mostly confirms what the national score already shows. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Penhook ranks 18,074 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 11,675 by building count (1 is largest). Within Virginia alone, it ranks 424 of 681 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Virginia on its state page.
What this risk score means for insurance
At the 43rd national percentile, Penhook rates elevated for wildfire risk — well short of the threshold where insurers have been withdrawing coverage, though comparing a quote costs nothing either way.
Lowering exposure, not just insuring around it
Because Direct exposure dominates in Penhook (69.2%), the highest-leverage fix is defensible space, not roofing or vents alone — covered in the home-hardening guide.
Where Penhook's figures come from
Every one of the two percentiles behind Penhook's 18,074-place national rank traces to USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities dataset — see the methodology guide. The exposure-zones guide covers what Penhook's dominant direct exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.