Sand Fork, WV
Sand Fork wildfire risk explained
USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities model puts Sand Fork at the 49th national percentile for risk to structures, modestly above the national average for wildfire risk — a score built from 121 actual buildings. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Fire likelihood alone (USFS's burn-probability figure) ranks Sand Fork at the 49th national percentile — 0 points below its risk-to-structures score, a gap driven by how much is actually built there.
Sand Fork's building exposure, zone by zone
USFS classifies 62% of Sand Fork's buildings as Direct exposure, higher than its 38% Indirect share and far above its 0% Minimal share — a profile where 75 structures sit close enough to vegetation that lot clearing matters most.
Sand Fork against the rest of the country
Sand Fork's risk sits at a similar level relative to West Virginia (37th percentile statewide) as it does nationally (49th) — this place isn't unusual for its own state either way. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Sand Fork ranks 15,964 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 28,141 by building count (1 is largest). Within West Virginia alone, it ranks 271 of 429 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for West Virginia on its state page.
Shopping for coverage in Sand Fork
Sand Fork's elevated wildfire rating (49th percentile) isn't the kind of score driving the carrier pullback making news in the highest-risk Western markets — but a standard homeowners quote is still worth comparing on its own terms.
Lowering exposure, not just insuring around it
Because Direct exposure dominates in Sand Fork (62%), the highest-leverage fix is defensible space, not roofing or vents alone — covered in the home-hardening guide.
Where Sand Fork's figures come from
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 121 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Sand Fork. The exposure-zones guide covers what Sand Fork's dominant direct exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.