Dell, MT
Dell, MT's wildfire risk, in USFS's own numbers
USFS scores Dell at the 64th national percentile for wildfire risk to structures (well above the national norm for wildfire risk), a figure built from 40 real buildings rather than raw vegetation cover. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, Dell's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 65th percentile nationally.
What "at risk" means for the buildings here
Of Dell's 40 counted buildings, 62.5% carry Direct exposure and only 0% carry Minimal — a lopsided split that puts defensible-space clearing ahead of vents or roofing as the intervention worth doing first.
Dell against the rest of the country
Dell ranks lower within Montana (31st percentile statewide) than its 64th national percentile suggests alone — a calmer spot in a state where wildfire risk generally runs high. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Dell ranks 11,247 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 31,172 by building count (1 is largest). Within Montana alone, it ranks 326 of 475 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Montana on its state page.
Dell and the insurance market
At the 64th percentile nationally, Dell carries the high rating that has pushed some carriers to limit new business in similarly-scored places elsewhere in the country. Worth comparing quotes rather than assuming last year's renewal terms still apply.
Hardening a home in Dell
With 62.5% of Dell in Direct exposure, defensible-space clearing and ember-resistant construction (vents, Class-A roofing) address the exposure this page's own numbers describe, not a generic checklist. See the home-hardening guide.
More on how this number was built
Dell's 64th-percentile score and its burn-probability figure both come from the same USFS workbook, documented in the methodology guide. For more on what direct exposure implies beyond Dell, see the exposure-zones guide.