Bena, MN
Bena, MN's wildfire risk, in USFS's own numbers
Bena sits at the 39th 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 153 counted buildings, not vegetation cover alone. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Fire likelihood alone (USFS's burn-probability figure) ranks Bena at the 37th national percentile — 2 points below its risk-to-structures score, a gap driven by how much is actually built there.
What "at risk" means for the buildings here
Direct exposure dominates in Bena: 66% of its 153 buildings, versus 31.4% Indirect and 2.6% Minimal. Clearing space around a structure changes the outcome here more than any single building-material swap.
Where Bena ranks
Bena's risk sits at a similar level relative to Minnesota (53rd percentile statewide) as it does nationally (39th) — this place isn't unusual for its own state either way. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Bena ranks 19,220 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 26,754 by building count (1 is largest). Within Minnesota alone, it ranks 432 of 914 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Minnesota on its state page.
What this risk score means for insurance
At the 39th national percentile, Bena rates moderate for wildfire risk — well short of the threshold where insurers have been withdrawing coverage, though comparing a quote costs nothing either way.
Hardening a home in Bena
Bena's 66% Direct-exposure share means lot clearing around the structure typically outweighs any single material upgrade here. The home-hardening guide ranks the options for a place shaped like this.
Where Bena's figures come from
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 153 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Bena. The exposure-zones guide covers what Bena's dominant direct exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.