Chelsea, SD
Chelsea, SD's wildfire risk, in USFS's own numbers
USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities model puts Chelsea at the 55th national percentile for risk to structures, modestly above the national average for wildfire risk — a score built from 40 actual buildings. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, Chelsea's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 54th percentile nationally.
What "at risk" means for the buildings here
77.5% of Chelsea's 40 buildings sit in USFS's Direct exposure zone, roughly 31 structures close enough to burnable vegetation for flame contact, not just embers — 0% fall in the Indirect, ember-only zone and 22.5% are Minimal.
Where Chelsea ranks
Chelsea ranks lower within South Dakota (38th percentile statewide) than its 55th national percentile suggests alone — a calmer spot in a state where wildfire risk generally runs high. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Chelsea ranks 14,258 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 31,183 by building count (1 is largest). Within South Dakota alone, it ranks 274 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
Chelsea's elevated rating (55th percentile nationally) sits outside the range where wildfire risk alone reshapes an insurance market — still, a homeowner here loses nothing by comparing rates.
Hardening a home in Chelsea
Chelsea's 77.5% Direct-exposure share means lot clearing around the structure typically outweighs any single material upgrade here. The home-hardening guide ranks the options for a place shaped like this.
Where Chelsea's figures come from
Chelsea's 55th-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 Chelsea's dominant direct exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.