Samson, AL
Samson wildfire risk explained
USFS scores Samson at the 62nd national percentile for wildfire risk to structures (well above the national norm for wildfire risk), a figure built from 1,260 real buildings rather than raw vegetation cover. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, Samson's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 62nd percentile nationally.
What "at risk" means for the buildings here
Direct exposure dominates in Samson: 50% of its 1,260 buildings, versus 50% Indirect and 0% Minimal. Clearing space around a structure changes the outcome here more than any single building-material swap.
Samson against the rest of the country
Samson ranks lower within Alabama (29th percentile statewide) than its 62nd national percentile suggests alone — a calmer spot in a state where wildfire risk generally runs high. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Samson ranks 12,058 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 10,295 by building count (1 is largest). Within Alabama alone, it ranks 419 of 592 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Alabama on its state page.
Samson and the insurance market
At the 62nd percentile nationally, Samson carries the 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.
What would actually reduce this score
Samson's 50% Direct-exposure share means lot clearing around the structure typically outweighs any single material upgrade here. The home-hardening guide ranks the options for a place shaped like this.
More on how this number was built
Every one of the two percentiles behind Samson's 12,058-place national rank traces to USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities dataset — see the methodology guide. For more on what direct exposure implies beyond Samson, see the exposure-zones guide.