Pierce, CO
Pierce, CO's wildfire risk, in USFS's own numbers
Pierce sits at the 83rd percentile nationally for wildfire risk to structures — in USFS's highest wildfire-risk band nationally — per USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities model, built from its 625 counted buildings, not vegetation cover alone. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Fire likelihood alone (USFS's burn-probability figure) ranks Pierce at the 83rd national percentile — 1 points above its risk-to-structures score, a gap driven by how much is actually built there.
What "at risk" means for the buildings here
625 buildings are counted in Pierce, and 66.9% of them are Indirect exposure — ember-driven risk rather than the 32.8% in Direct exposure or the 0.3% rated Minimal.
How Pierce compares
Pierce's 83rd national percentile looks worse in isolation than its 61st ranking inside Colorado does — this place is on the milder end for its own state, by 21 points. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Pierce ranks 5,382 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 15,499 by building count (1 is largest). Within Colorado alone, it ranks 183 of 472 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Colorado on its state page.
Pierce and the insurance market
At the 83rd percentile nationally, Pierce carries the very 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.
Hardening a home in Pierce
Pierce's 66.9% Indirect-exposure share points at embers, not flame contact, as the main pathway — ember-resistant vents and non-combustible roofing rank ahead of defensible space here. Detail in the home-hardening guide.
Where Pierce's figures come from
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 625 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Pierce. The exposure-zones guide covers what Pierce's dominant indirect exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.