Bronson, IA
Bronson wildfire risk explained
Out of every US place USFS scores, Bronson lands at the 71st percentile for wildfire risk to structures — well above the national norm for wildfire risk — a figure built from its 173 buildings, not the land around them. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, Bronson's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 66th percentile nationally.
Where Bronson's buildings actually sit
68.8% of Bronson's 173 buildings sit in USFS's Minimal exposure zone, with only 31.2% rated Direct — risk here comes from regional burn probability more than proximity to burnable vegetation at the structure itself.
Where Bronson ranks
Bronson's 94th-percentile standing inside Iowa outpaces its 71st 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, Bronson ranks 9,197 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 25,893 by building count (1 is largest). Within Iowa alone, it ranks 58 of 1,017 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Iowa on its state page.
What this risk score means for insurance
Bronson's high rating (71st percentile) puts it among the places where the national carrier-pullback trend is most relevant — not a guarantee of a coverage problem, but a reason to shop rather than assume.
What would actually reduce this score
Even with 68.8% of Bronson 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 Bronson's figures come from
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 173 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Bronson. The exposure-zones guide covers what Bronson's dominant minimal exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.