Saxis, VA
How exposed is Saxis to wildfire?
Saxis's 235 buildings earn a 92nd-percentile wildfire-risk score nationally under USFS's model — in USFS's highest wildfire-risk band nationally. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, Saxis's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 89th percentile nationally.
Where Saxis's buildings actually sit
49.8% of Saxis's 235 buildings sit in USFS's Direct exposure zone, roughly 117 structures close enough to burnable vegetation for flame contact, not just embers — 41.3% fall in the Indirect, ember-only zone and 8.9% are Minimal.
Saxis against the rest of the country
Saxis scores 92nd nationally and 99th within Virginia — close enough that its state context doesn't change the picture the national number already gives. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Saxis ranks 2,439 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 23,649 by building count (1 is largest). Within Virginia alone, it ranks 9 of 681 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Virginia on its state page.
Saxis and the insurance market
At the 92nd percentile nationally, Saxis carries the very 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
Because Direct exposure dominates in Saxis (49.8%), the highest-leverage fix is defensible space, not roofing or vents alone — covered in the home-hardening guide.
Where Saxis's figures come from
Saxis's 92nd-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 Saxis's dominant direct exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.