Putnam, AL
Putnam wildfire risk explained
Putnam sits at the 57th percentile nationally for wildfire risk to structures — modestly above the national average for wildfire risk — per USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities model, built from its 152 counted buildings, not vegetation cover alone. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Fire likelihood alone (USFS's burn-probability figure) ranks Putnam at the 59th national percentile — 2 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
100% of Putnam's 152 buildings sit in USFS's Direct exposure zone, roughly 152 structures close enough to burnable vegetation for flame contact, not just embers — 0% fall in the Indirect, ember-only zone and 0% are Minimal.
Putnam against the rest of the country
Inside Alabama, Putnam sits at just the 16th percentile even though it scores 57th nationally — the state's overall wildfire exposure is high enough to make this a relatively quiet corner of it. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Putnam ranks 13,604 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 26,783 by building count (1 is largest). Within Alabama alone, it ranks 499 of 592 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Alabama on its state page.
Putnam and the insurance market
Putnam's elevated rating (57th percentile nationally) sits outside the range where wildfire risk alone reshapes an insurance market — still, a homeowner here loses nothing by comparing rates.
Lowering exposure, not just insuring around it
Because Direct exposure dominates in Putnam (100%), the highest-leverage fix is defensible space, not roofing or vents alone — covered in the home-hardening guide.
Where Putnam's figures come from
Putnam's 57th-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 Putnam's dominant direct exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.