Sandy Ridge, PA
How exposed is Sandy Ridge to wildfire?
USFS scores Sandy Ridge at the 60th national percentile for wildfire risk to structures (modestly above the national average for wildfire risk), a figure built from 257 real buildings rather than raw vegetation cover. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, Sandy Ridge's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 57th percentile nationally.
What "at risk" means for the buildings here
Direct exposure dominates in Sandy Ridge: 96.1% of its 257 buildings, versus 3.9% Indirect and 0% Minimal. Clearing space around a structure changes the outcome here more than any single building-material swap.
Where Sandy Ridge ranks
Within Pennsylvania, Sandy Ridge ranks higher (96th percentile) than it does nationally (60th) — one of the more fire-exposed places in a state that, overall, scores lower than that. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Sandy Ridge ranks 12,775 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 22,925 by building count (1 is largest). Within Pennsylvania alone, it ranks 84 of 1,991 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Pennsylvania on its state page.
Shopping for coverage in Sandy Ridge
At the 60th national percentile, Sandy Ridge rates elevated for wildfire risk — well short of the threshold where insurers have been withdrawing coverage, though comparing a quote costs nothing either way.
Hardening a home in Sandy Ridge
Because Direct exposure dominates in Sandy Ridge (96.1%), 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 257 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Sandy Ridge. For more on what direct exposure implies beyond Sandy Ridge, see the exposure-zones guide.