Rutledge, AL
Rutledge wildfire risk explained
Out of every US place USFS scores, Rutledge lands at the 55th percentile for wildfire risk to structures — modestly above the national average for wildfire risk — a figure built from its 449 buildings, not the land around them. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
USFS's separate burn-probability score — fire likelihood alone, before counting what's built there — puts Rutledge at the 58th percentile, close to its 55th-percentile risk score.
Rutledge's building exposure, zone by zone
Direct exposure dominates in Rutledge: 89.5% of its 449 buildings, versus 10.5% Indirect and 0% Minimal. Clearing space around a structure changes the outcome here more than any single building-material swap.
How Rutledge compares
Rutledge ranks lower within Alabama (12th percentile statewide) than its 55th national percentile suggests alone — a calmer spot in a state where wildfire risk generally runs high. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Rutledge ranks 14,264 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 18,288 by building count (1 is largest). Within Alabama alone, it ranks 523 of 592 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Alabama on its state page.
Shopping for coverage in Rutledge
Rutledge's elevated rating (55th percentile nationally) sits outside the range where wildfire risk alone reshapes an insurance market — still, a homeowner here loses nothing by comparing rates.
Hardening a home in Rutledge
Because Direct exposure dominates in Rutledge (89.5%), the highest-leverage fix is defensible space, not roofing or vents alone — covered in the home-hardening guide.
More on how this number was built
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 449 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Rutledge. For more on what direct exposure implies beyond Rutledge, see the exposure-zones guide.