Sykesville, MD
Sykesville, MD's wildfire risk, in USFS's own numbers
Sykesville sits at the 15th percentile nationally for wildfire risk to structures — among the lower wildfire-risk places nationally — per USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities model, built from its 1,223 counted buildings, not vegetation cover alone. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, Sykesville's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 14th percentile nationally.
What "at risk" means for the buildings here
Indirect exposure is dominant in Sykesville (51.3% of 1,223 buildings): far enough from burnable vegetation to avoid flame contact, close enough for wind-blown embers. Only 48.7% sit in the Direct zone.
How Sykesville compares
Sykesville's risk sits at a similar level relative to Maryland (15th percentile statewide) as it does nationally (15th) — this place isn't unusual for its own state either way. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Sykesville ranks 26,688 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 10,515 by building count (1 is largest). Within Maryland alone, it ranks 448 of 527 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Maryland on its state page.
Shopping for coverage in Sykesville
Sykesville's low wildfire rating (15th 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.
Hardening a home in Sykesville
With ember exposure the dominant pattern in Sykesville (51.3% Indirect), vent screens and roofing material tend to matter more than lot clearing alone. The home-hardening guide covers both.
Where Sykesville's figures come from
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 1,223 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Sykesville. The exposure-zones guide covers what Sykesville's dominant indirect exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.