Bertrand, MO
Bertrand wildfire risk explained
Bertrand sits at the 1st percentile nationally for wildfire risk to structures — among the lower wildfire-risk places nationally — per USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities model, built from its 469 counted buildings, not vegetation cover alone. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Fire likelihood alone (USFS's burn-probability figure) ranks Bertrand at the 1st national percentile — 0 points above its risk-to-structures score, a gap driven by how much is actually built there.
Where Bertrand's buildings actually sit
Most of Bertrand's buildings (78.3% of 469) fall outside USFS's Direct and Indirect zones entirely — that doesn't zero out the score above, it means the risk is regional, not structure-by-structure.
Bertrand against the rest of the country
Bertrand's risk sits at a similar level relative to Missouri (1st percentile statewide) as it does nationally (1st) — this place isn't unusual for its own state either way. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Bertrand ranks 31,366 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 17,896 by building count (1 is largest). Within Missouri alone, it ranks 1,057 of 1,062 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Missouri on its state page.
Bertrand and the insurance market
Bertrand's low rating (1st percentile nationally) sits outside the range where wildfire risk alone reshapes an insurance market — still, a homeowner here loses nothing by comparing rates.
What would actually reduce this score
Even with 78.3% of Bertrand outside USFS's Direct and Indirect zones, basic hardening — gutter maintenance, ember-resistant vents — is inexpensive relative to the regional burn-probability risk noted above. Details in the home-hardening guide.
Where Bertrand's figures come from
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 469 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Bertrand. The exposure-zones guide covers what Bertrand's dominant minimal exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.