Belcourt, ND
Belcourt wildfire risk explained
USFS scores Belcourt at the 90th national percentile for wildfire risk to structures (in USFS's highest wildfire-risk band nationally), a figure built from 1,100 real buildings rather than raw vegetation cover. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, Belcourt's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 90th percentile nationally.
Where Belcourt's buildings actually sit
USFS classifies 74.2% of Belcourt's buildings as Direct exposure, higher than its 18.2% Indirect share and far above its 7.6% Minimal share — a profile where 816 structures sit close enough to vegetation that lot clearing matters most.
Where Belcourt ranks
There's little gap between Belcourt's 90th national percentile and its 100th percentile inside North Dakota, which means the state comparison mostly confirms what the national score already shows. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Belcourt ranks 3,030 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 11,275 by building count (1 is largest). Within North Dakota alone, it ranks 2 of 402 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for North Dakota on its state page.
Belcourt and the insurance market
Belcourt's very high rating (90th 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.
Lowering exposure, not just insuring around it
Because Direct exposure dominates in Belcourt (74.2%), the highest-leverage fix is defensible space, not roofing or vents alone — covered in the home-hardening guide.
Where Belcourt's figures come from
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 1,100 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Belcourt. The exposure-zones guide covers what Belcourt's dominant direct exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.