Ward, AR
How exposed is Ward to wildfire?
Ward sits at the 65th percentile nationally for wildfire risk to structures — well above the national norm for wildfire risk — per USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities model, built from its 2,480 counted buildings, not vegetation cover alone. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, Ward's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 68th percentile nationally.
What "at risk" means for the buildings here
Direct exposure dominates in Ward: 56.1% of its 2,480 buildings, versus 43.9% Indirect and 0% Minimal. Clearing space around a structure changes the outcome here more than any single building-material swap.
Where Ward ranks
Inside Arkansas, Ward sits at just the 49th percentile even though it scores 65th nationally — the state's overall wildfire exposure is high enough to make this a relatively quiet corner of it. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Ward ranks 11,148 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 6,336 by building count (1 is largest). Within Arkansas alone, it ranks 313 of 614 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Arkansas on its state page.
What this risk score means for insurance
At the 65th percentile nationally, Ward 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.
What would actually reduce this score
With 56.1% of Ward in Direct exposure, defensible-space clearing and ember-resistant construction (vents, Class-A roofing) address the exposure this page's own numbers describe, not a generic checklist. See the home-hardening guide.
Where Ward's figures come from
Ward's 65th-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 Ward's dominant direct exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.