Dayton, MT
Dayton wildfire risk explained
Out of every US place USFS scores, Dayton lands at the 75th percentile for wildfire risk to structures — well above the national norm for wildfire risk — a figure built from its 145 buildings, not the land around them. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Fire likelihood alone (USFS's burn-probability figure) ranks Dayton at the 75th national percentile — 0 points above its risk-to-structures score, a gap driven by how much is actually built there.
Dayton's building exposure, zone by zone
Direct exposure dominates in Dayton: 53.8% of its 145 buildings, versus 41.4% Indirect and 4.8% Minimal. Clearing space around a structure changes the outcome here more than any single building-material swap.
Where Dayton ranks
Dayton ranks lower within Montana (45th percentile statewide) than its 75th national percentile suggests alone — a calmer spot in a state where wildfire risk generally runs high. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Dayton ranks 8,041 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 27,084 by building count (1 is largest). Within Montana alone, it ranks 263 of 475 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Montana on its state page.
Dayton and the insurance market
Dayton's high rating (75th percentile) puts it among the places where the national carrier-pullback trend is most relevant — not a guarantee of a coverage problem, but a reason to shop rather than assume.
What would actually reduce this score
Dayton's 53.8% 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 Dayton's figures come from
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 145 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Dayton. The exposure-zones guide covers what Dayton's dominant direct exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.