Williams, SC
How exposed is Williams to wildfire?
Out of every US place USFS scores, Williams lands at the 73rd percentile for wildfire risk to structures — well above the national norm for wildfire risk — a figure built from its 133 buildings, not the land around them. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, Williams's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 73rd percentile nationally.
Williams's building exposure, zone by zone
133 buildings are counted in Williams, and 79% of them sit in USFS's Direct exposure zone — flame contact, not just ember cast, is the live possibility for most of them, against 0% rated Minimal.
Where Williams ranks
Williams's risk sits at a similar level relative to South Carolina (69th percentile statewide) as it does nationally (73rd) — this place isn't unusual for its own state either way. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Williams ranks 8,486 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 27,595 by building count (1 is largest). Within South Carolina alone, it ranks 150 of 474 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for South Carolina on its state page.
Williams and the insurance market
At the 73rd percentile nationally, Williams 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.
Hardening a home in Williams
Because Direct exposure dominates in Williams (79%), the highest-leverage fix is defensible space, not roofing or vents alone — covered in the home-hardening guide.
Where Williams's figures come from
Every one of the two percentiles behind Williams's 8,486-place national rank traces to USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities dataset — see the methodology guide. The exposure-zones guide covers what Williams's dominant direct exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.