Ardmore, SD
How exposed is Ardmore to wildfire?
Out of every US place USFS scores, Ardmore lands at the 93rd percentile for wildfire risk to structures — in USFS's highest wildfire-risk band nationally — a figure built from its 38 buildings, not the land around them. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, Ardmore's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 93rd percentile nationally.
Where Ardmore's buildings actually sit
USFS classifies 100% of Ardmore's buildings as Direct exposure, higher than its 0% Indirect share and far above its 0% Minimal share — a profile where 38 structures sit close enough to vegetation that lot clearing matters most.
Where Ardmore ranks
Ardmore's risk sits at a similar level relative to South Dakota (96th percentile statewide) as it does nationally (93rd) — this place isn't unusual for its own state either way. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Ardmore ranks 2,148 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 31,214 by building count (1 is largest). Within South Dakota alone, it ranks 16 of 439 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for South Dakota on its state page.
Ardmore and the insurance market
Ardmore's very high rating (93rd percentile) puts it among the places where the national carrier-pullback trend is most relevant — not a guarantee of a coverage problem, but a reason to shop rather than assume.
What would actually reduce this score
Because Direct exposure dominates in Ardmore (100%), 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
Ardmore's 93rd-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 Ardmore, see the exposure-zones guide.