Burke, SD
Burke, SD's wildfire risk, in USFS's own numbers
Burke's 535 buildings earn a 64th-percentile wildfire-risk score nationally under USFS's model — well above the national norm for wildfire risk. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, Burke's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 61st percentile nationally.
Where Burke's buildings actually sit
Most of Burke's buildings (86.4%) sit in the Indirect zone, where wind-blown embers rather than flame front are the mechanism USFS is scoring — ember-resistant vents and non-combustible roofing are the interventions this pattern favors, more than defensible space alone.
How Burke compares
There's little gap between Burke's 64th national percentile and its 56th percentile inside South Dakota, which means the state comparison mostly confirms what the national score already shows. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Burke ranks 11,257 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 16,804 by building count (1 is largest). Within South Dakota alone, it ranks 196 of 439 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for South Dakota on its state page.
What this risk score means for insurance
At the 64th percentile nationally, Burke carries the 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.
What would actually reduce this score
With ember exposure the dominant pattern in Burke (86.4% Indirect), vent screens and roofing material tend to matter more than lot clearing alone. The home-hardening guide covers both.
Where Burke's figures come from
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 535 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Burke. The exposure-zones guide covers what Burke's dominant indirect exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.