Wheeler, MS
How exposed is Wheeler to wildfire?
USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities model puts Wheeler at the 67th national percentile for risk to structures, well above the national norm for wildfire risk — a score built from 266 actual buildings. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Fire likelihood alone (USFS's burn-probability figure) ranks Wheeler at the 70th national percentile — 3 points above its risk-to-structures score, a gap driven by how much is actually built there.
Wheeler's building exposure, zone by zone
80.5% of Wheeler's 266 buildings sit in USFS's Direct exposure zone, roughly 214 structures close enough to burnable vegetation for flame contact, not just embers — 19.6% fall in the Indirect, ember-only zone and 0% are Minimal.
Where Wheeler ranks
Wheeler's 67th national percentile looks worse in isolation than its 50th ranking inside Mississippi does — this place is on the milder end for its own state, by 18 points. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Wheeler ranks 10,305 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 22,634 by building count (1 is largest). Within Mississippi alone, it ranks 214 of 420 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Mississippi on its state page.
Shopping for coverage in Wheeler
At the 67th percentile nationally, Wheeler 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 Wheeler (80.5%), the highest-leverage fix is defensible space, not roofing or vents alone — covered in the home-hardening guide.
More on how this number was built
Wheeler's 67th-percentile score and its burn-probability figure both come from the same USFS workbook, documented in the methodology guide. For more on what direct exposure implies beyond Wheeler, see the exposure-zones guide.