Sherando, VA
Sherando wildfire risk explained
USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities model puts Sherando at the 70th national percentile for risk to structures, well above the national norm for wildfire risk — a score built from 494 actual buildings. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, Sherando's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 68th percentile nationally.
Sherando's building exposure, zone by zone
Direct exposure dominates in Sherando: 95.1% of its 494 buildings, versus 4.9% Indirect and 0% Minimal. Clearing space around a structure changes the outcome here more than any single building-material swap.
How Sherando compares
Sherando scores 70th nationally and 83rd 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, Sherando ranks 9,439 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 17,466 by building count (1 is largest). Within Virginia alone, it ranks 120 of 681 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Virginia on its state page.
Sherando and the insurance market
At the 70th percentile nationally, Sherando 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.
Lowering exposure, not just insuring around it
Because Direct exposure dominates in Sherando (95.1%), the highest-leverage fix is defensible space, not roofing or vents alone — covered in the home-hardening guide.
Where Sherando's figures come from
Every one of the two percentiles behind Sherando's 9,439-place national rank traces to USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities dataset — see the methodology guide. The exposure-zones guide covers what Sherando's dominant direct exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.