Dawson, IL
How exposed is Dawson to wildfire?
Out of every US place USFS scores, Dawson lands at the 1st percentile for wildfire risk to structures — among the lower wildfire-risk places nationally — a figure built from its 337 buildings, not the land around them. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, Dawson's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 1st percentile nationally.
Where Dawson's buildings actually sit
Most of Dawson's buildings (97.3% of 337) 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 Dawson compares
Dawson's risk sits at a similar level relative to Illinois (11th percentile statewide) as it does nationally (1st) — this place isn't unusual for its own state either way. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Dawson ranks 31,098 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 20,655 by building count (1 is largest). Within Illinois alone, it ranks 1,286 of 1,445 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Illinois on its state page.
Dawson and the insurance market
Dawson's low rating (1st 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 Dawson
Even with 97.3% of Dawson 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 Dawson's figures come from
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 337 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Dawson. The exposure-zones guide covers what Dawson's dominant minimal exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.