Balfour, ND
How exposed is Balfour to wildfire?
Out of every US place USFS scores, Balfour lands at the 46th percentile for wildfire risk to structures — modestly above the national average for wildfire risk — a figure built from its 66 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 Balfour at the 43rd percentile, close to its 46th-percentile risk score.
Where Balfour's buildings actually sit
Direct exposure dominates in Balfour: 78.8% of its 66 buildings, versus 21.2% Indirect and 0% Minimal. Clearing space around a structure changes the outcome here more than any single building-material swap.
Where Balfour ranks
Balfour scores 46th nationally and 41st within North Dakota — close enough that its state context doesn't change the picture the national number already gives. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Balfour ranks 17,059 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 30,439 by building count (1 is largest). Within North Dakota alone, it ranks 238 of 402 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for North Dakota on its state page.
What this risk score means for insurance
At the 46th national percentile, Balfour rates elevated for wildfire risk — well short of the threshold where insurers have been withdrawing coverage, though comparing a quote costs nothing either way.
Lowering exposure, not just insuring around it
With 78.8% of Balfour 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 Balfour's figures come from
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 66 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Balfour. The exposure-zones guide covers what Balfour's dominant direct exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.