Buffalo, SD
Buffalo wildfire risk explained
Out of every US place USFS scores, Buffalo lands at the 95th percentile for wildfire risk to structures — in USFS's highest wildfire-risk band nationally — a figure built from its 349 buildings, not the land around them. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Fire likelihood alone (USFS's burn-probability figure) ranks Buffalo at the 96th national percentile — 1 points above its risk-to-structures score, a gap driven by how much is actually built there.
What "at risk" means for the buildings here
349 buildings are counted in Buffalo, and 86.3% of them are Indirect exposure — ember-driven risk rather than the 13.8% in Direct exposure or the 0% rated Minimal.
Buffalo against the rest of the country
Buffalo's risk sits at a similar level relative to South Dakota (97th percentile statewide) as it does nationally (95th) — this place isn't unusual for its own state either way. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Buffalo ranks 1,681 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 20,353 by building count (1 is largest). Within South Dakota alone, it ranks 13 of 439 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for South Dakota on its state page.
Shopping for coverage in Buffalo
At the 95th percentile nationally, Buffalo 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.
Lowering exposure, not just insuring around it
With ember exposure the dominant pattern in Buffalo (86.3% Indirect), vent screens and roofing material tend to matter more than lot clearing alone. The home-hardening guide covers both.
Where Buffalo's figures come from
Buffalo's 95th-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 Buffalo's dominant indirect exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.