Bridger, SD
Bridger, SD's wildfire risk, in USFS's own numbers
USFS scores Bridger at the 83rd national percentile for wildfire risk to structures (in USFS's highest wildfire-risk band nationally), a figure built from 22 real buildings rather than raw vegetation cover. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, Bridger's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 83rd percentile nationally.
Where Bridger's buildings actually sit
100% of Bridger's 22 buildings sit in USFS's Direct exposure zone, roughly 22 structures close enough to burnable vegetation for flame contact, not just embers — 0% fall in the Indirect, ember-only zone and 0% are Minimal. This is a small settlement by building count — 22 total — so these shares describe a handful of structures, not a statistical average across thousands.
Where Bridger ranks
Bridger's risk sits at a similar level relative to South Dakota (84th percentile statewide) as it does nationally (83rd) — this place isn't unusual for its own state either way. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Bridger ranks 5,267 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 31,447 by building count (1 is largest). Within South Dakota alone, it ranks 71 of 439 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for South Dakota on its state page.
Bridger and the insurance market
At the 83rd percentile nationally, Bridger carries the very high rating that has pushed some carriers to limit new business in similarly-scored places elsewhere in the country. Worth comparing quotes rather than assuming last year's renewal terms still apply.
Hardening a home in Bridger
Because Direct exposure dominates in Bridger (100%), the highest-leverage fix is defensible space, not roofing or vents alone — covered in the home-hardening guide.
More on how this number was built
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 22 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Bridger. At 22 buildings, Bridger is close to the size where USFS's data gets thin — the data-quality guide explains why 517 places nationally get no score at all.