Bellaire, MI
How exposed is Bellaire to wildfire?
Bellaire sits at the 28th percentile nationally for wildfire risk to structures — close to the middle of USFS's national wildfire-risk range — per USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities model, built from its 741 counted buildings, not vegetation cover alone. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Fire likelihood alone (USFS's burn-probability figure) ranks Bellaire at the 28th national percentile — 0 points above its risk-to-structures score, a gap driven by how much is actually built there.
Where Bellaire's buildings actually sit
Most of Bellaire's buildings (67.3%) sit in the Indirect zone, where wind-blown embers rather than flame front are the mechanism USFS is scoring — ember-resistant vents and non-combustible roofing are the interventions this pattern favors, more than defensible space alone.
Bellaire against the rest of the country
Bellaire's 79th-percentile standing inside Michigan outpaces its 28th national percentile — this is a hotter spot than most of its own state, even though the state as a whole runs cooler nationally. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Bellaire ranks 22,784 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 14,209 by building count (1 is largest). Within Michigan alone, it ranks 157 of 745 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Michigan on its state page.
Bellaire and the insurance market
At the 28th national percentile, Bellaire rates moderate 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 ember exposure the dominant pattern in Bellaire (67.3% Indirect), vent screens and roofing material tend to matter more than lot clearing alone. The home-hardening guide covers both.
Where Bellaire's figures come from
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 741 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Bellaire. The exposure-zones guide covers what Bellaire's dominant indirect exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.