Castalia, IA
Castalia, IA's wildfire risk, in USFS's own numbers
Castalia's 160 buildings earn a 13th-percentile wildfire-risk score nationally under USFS's model — among the lower wildfire-risk places nationally. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
USFS's separate burn-probability score — fire likelihood alone, before counting what's built there — puts Castalia at the 13th percentile, close to its 13th-percentile risk score.
Where Castalia's buildings actually sit
Most of Castalia's buildings (85.6% of 160) fall outside USFS's Direct and Indirect zones entirely — that doesn't zero out the score above, it means the risk is regional, not structure-by-structure.
How Castalia compares
Castalia's risk sits at a similar level relative to Iowa (22nd percentile statewide) as it does nationally (13th) — this place isn't unusual for its own state either way. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Castalia ranks 27,572 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 26,427 by building count (1 is largest). Within Iowa alone, it ranks 790 of 1,017 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Iowa on its state page.
Shopping for coverage in Castalia
At the 13th national percentile, Castalia rates low 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 Castalia
Even with 85.6% of Castalia 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 Castalia's figures come from
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 160 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Castalia. The exposure-zones guide covers what Castalia's dominant minimal exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.