Dawson, IA
Dawson wildfire risk explained
USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities model puts Dawson at the 21st national percentile for risk to structures, close to the middle of USFS's national wildfire-risk range — a score built from 133 actual buildings. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Fire likelihood alone (USFS's burn-probability figure) ranks Dawson at the 20th national percentile — 1 points below its risk-to-structures score, a gap driven by how much is actually built there.
Dawson's building exposure, zone by zone
133 buildings are counted in Dawson, and 51.1% of them sit in USFS's Direct exposure zone — flame contact, not just ember cast, is the live possibility for most of them, against 48.9% rated Minimal.
Dawson against the rest of the country
Dawson scores 21st nationally and 34th within Iowa — close enough that its state context doesn't change the picture the national number already gives. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Dawson ranks 24,830 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 27,578 by building count (1 is largest). Within Iowa alone, it ranks 669 of 1,017 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Iowa on its state page.
Dawson and the insurance market
At the 21st national percentile, Dawson rates moderate for wildfire risk — well short of the threshold where insurers have been withdrawing coverage, though comparing a quote costs nothing either way.
Lowering exposure, not just insuring around it
Because Direct exposure dominates in Dawson (51.1%), the highest-leverage fix is defensible space, not roofing or vents alone — covered in the home-hardening guide.
Where Dawson's figures come from
Every one of the two percentiles behind Dawson's 24,830-place national rank traces to USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities dataset — see the methodology guide. The exposure-zones guide covers what Dawson's dominant direct exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.