Sutton, WV
How exposed is Sutton to wildfire?
Sutton sits at the 51st percentile nationally for wildfire risk to structures — modestly above the national average for wildfire risk — per USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities model, built from its 606 counted buildings, not vegetation cover alone. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
USFS's separate burn-probability score — fire likelihood alone, before counting what's built there — puts Sutton at the 51st percentile, close to its 51st-percentile risk score.
What "at risk" means for the buildings here
Indirect exposure is dominant in Sutton (67.8% of 606 buildings): far enough from burnable vegetation to avoid flame contact, close enough for wind-blown embers. Only 32.2% sit in the Direct zone.
How Sutton compares
Sutton's risk sits at a similar level relative to West Virginia (39th percentile statewide) as it does nationally (51st) — this place isn't unusual for its own state either way. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Sutton ranks 15,524 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 15,755 by building count (1 is largest). Within West Virginia alone, it ranks 264 of 429 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for West Virginia on its state page.
What this risk score means for insurance
Sutton's elevated rating (51st percentile nationally) sits outside the range where wildfire risk alone reshapes an insurance market — still, a homeowner here loses nothing by comparing rates.
Hardening a home in Sutton
Because 67.8% of Sutton's buildings sit in the Indirect zone, sealing the ember pathway (vents, roofing, gutters) is the intervention this page's data actually supports — see the home-hardening guide.
Where Sutton's figures come from
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 606 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Sutton. The exposure-zones guide covers what Sutton's dominant indirect exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.