Watkins, CO
How exposed is Watkins to wildfire?
Out of every US place USFS scores, Watkins lands at the 83rd percentile for wildfire risk to structures — in USFS's highest wildfire-risk band nationally — a figure built from its 794 buildings, not the land around them. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
USFS's separate burn-probability score — fire likelihood alone, before counting what's built there — puts Watkins at the 83rd percentile, close to its 83rd-percentile risk score.
Where Watkins's buildings actually sit
USFS classifies 87.9% of Watkins's buildings as Direct exposure, higher than its 12.1% Indirect share and far above its 0% Minimal share — a profile where 698 structures sit close enough to vegetation that lot clearing matters most.
How Watkins compares
Watkins ranks lower within Colorado (61st percentile statewide) than its 83rd national percentile suggests alone — a calmer spot in a state where wildfire risk generally runs high. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Watkins ranks 5,383 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 13,692 by building count (1 is largest). Within Colorado alone, it ranks 184 of 472 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Colorado on its state page.
Watkins and the insurance market
At the 83rd percentile nationally, Watkins 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
With 87.9% of Watkins 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 Watkins's figures come from
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 794 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Watkins. The exposure-zones guide covers what Watkins's dominant direct exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.