Ponca, AR
How exposed is Ponca to wildfire?
Ponca sits at the 81st 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 52 counted buildings, not vegetation cover alone. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, Ponca's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 83rd percentile nationally.
Where Ponca's buildings actually sit
100% of Ponca's 52 buildings sit in USFS's Direct exposure zone, roughly 52 structures close enough to burnable vegetation for flame contact, not just embers — 0% fall in the Indirect, ember-only zone and 0% are Minimal.
Where Ponca ranks
Ponca scores 81st nationally and 85th within Arkansas — close enough that its state context doesn't change the picture the national number already gives. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Ponca ranks 5,884 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 30,867 by building count (1 is largest). Within Arkansas alone, it ranks 94 of 614 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Arkansas on its state page.
What this risk score means for insurance
Ponca's very high rating (81st 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.
Hardening a home in Ponca
Because Direct exposure dominates in Ponca (100%), the highest-leverage fix is defensible space, not roofing or vents alone — covered in the home-hardening guide.
Where Ponca's figures come from
Every one of the two percentiles behind Ponca's 5,884-place national rank traces to USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities dataset — see the methodology guide. The exposure-zones guide covers what Ponca's dominant direct exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.