Black Earth, WI
Black Earth wildfire risk explained
Out of every US place USFS scores, Black Earth lands at the 32nd percentile for wildfire risk to structures — close to the middle of USFS's national wildfire-risk range — a figure built from its 676 buildings, not the land around them. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, Black Earth's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 33rd percentile nationally.
Black Earth's building exposure, zone by zone
Indirect exposure is dominant in Black Earth (88.2% of 676 buildings): far enough from burnable vegetation to avoid flame contact, close enough for wind-blown embers. Only 11.8% sit in the Direct zone.
Where Black Earth ranks
Compare Black Earth's two percentiles: 70th within Wisconsin, only 32nd nationally — a gap of 38 points that marks it as unusually exposed for its own state. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Black Earth ranks 21,543 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 14,923 by building count (1 is largest). Within Wisconsin alone, it ranks 246 of 808 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Wisconsin on its state page.
Shopping for coverage in Black Earth
At the 32nd national percentile, Black Earth 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 Black Earth
Because 88.2% of Black Earth's buildings sit in the Indirect zone, sealing the ember pathway (vents, roofing, gutters) is the intervention this page's data actually supports — see the home-hardening guide.
Where Black Earth's figures come from
Black Earth's 32nd-percentile score and its burn-probability figure both come from the same USFS workbook, documented in the methodology guide. The exposure-zones guide covers what Black Earth's dominant indirect exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.