Alcester, SD
How exposed is Alcester to wildfire?
Out of every US place USFS scores, Alcester lands at the 21st percentile for wildfire risk to structures — close to the middle of USFS's national wildfire-risk range — a figure built from its 482 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 Alcester at the 19th percentile, close to its 21st-percentile risk score.
Alcester's building exposure, zone by zone
Most of Alcester's buildings (71.8% of 482) fall outside USFS's Direct and Indirect zones entirely — that doesn't zero out the score above, it means the risk is regional, not structure-by-structure.
Where Alcester ranks
Alcester ranks lower within South Dakota (1st percentile statewide) than its 21st national percentile suggests alone — a calmer spot in a state where wildfire risk generally runs high. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Alcester ranks 25,035 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 17,677 by building count (1 is largest). Within South Dakota alone, it ranks 434 of 439 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for South Dakota on its state page.
Shopping for coverage in Alcester
At the 21st national percentile, Alcester rates moderate for wildfire risk — well short of the threshold where insurers have been withdrawing coverage, though comparing a quote costs nothing either way.
What would actually reduce this score
Even with 71.8% of Alcester outside USFS's Direct and Indirect zones, basic hardening — gutter maintenance, ember-resistant vents — is inexpensive relative to the regional burn-probability risk noted above. Details in the home-hardening guide.
Where Alcester's figures come from
Alcester's 21st-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 Alcester's dominant minimal exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.