Chester, IL
Chester wildfire risk explained
Chester sits at the 27th percentile nationally for wildfire risk to structures — close to the middle of USFS's national wildfire-risk range — per USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities model, built from its 2,700 counted buildings, not vegetation cover alone. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Fire likelihood alone (USFS's burn-probability figure) ranks Chester at the 28th 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
Indirect exposure is dominant in Chester (76.8% of 2,700 buildings): far enough from burnable vegetation to avoid flame contact, close enough for wind-blown embers. Only 23.2% sit in the Direct zone.
Chester against the rest of the country
Compare Chester's two percentiles: 76th within Illinois, only 27th nationally — a gap of 49 points that marks it as unusually exposed for its own state. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Chester ranks 22,967 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 5,928 by building count (1 is largest). Within Illinois alone, it ranks 354 of 1,445 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Illinois on its state page.
Chester and the insurance market
Chester's moderate rating (27th percentile nationally) sits outside the range where wildfire risk alone reshapes an insurance market — still, a homeowner here loses nothing by comparing rates.
What would actually reduce this score
With ember exposure the dominant pattern in Chester (76.8% Indirect), vent screens and roofing material tend to matter more than lot clearing alone. The home-hardening guide covers both.
Where Chester's figures come from
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 2,700 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Chester. The exposure-zones guide covers what Chester's dominant indirect exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.