Dutton, MT
Dutton wildfire risk explained
USFS scores Dutton at the 26th national percentile for wildfire risk to structures (close to the middle of USFS's national wildfire-risk range), a figure built from 331 real buildings rather than raw vegetation cover. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Fire likelihood alone (USFS's burn-probability figure) ranks Dutton at the 25th national percentile — 1 points below its risk-to-structures score, a gap driven by how much is actually built there.
Dutton's building exposure, zone by zone
Indirect exposure is dominant in Dutton (90.9% of 331 buildings): far enough from burnable vegetation to avoid flame contact, close enough for wind-blown embers. Only 9.1% sit in the Direct zone.
Where Dutton ranks
Dutton ranks lower within Montana (5th percentile statewide) than its 26th national percentile suggests alone — a calmer spot in a state where wildfire risk generally runs high. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Dutton ranks 23,262 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 20,798 by building count (1 is largest). Within Montana alone, it ranks 453 of 475 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Montana on its state page.
Dutton and the insurance market
Dutton's moderate rating (26th 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
Dutton's 90.9% Indirect-exposure share points at embers, not flame contact, as the main pathway — ember-resistant vents and non-combustible roofing rank ahead of defensible space here. Detail in the home-hardening guide.
Where Dutton's figures come from
Every one of the two percentiles behind Dutton's 23,262-place national rank traces to USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities dataset — see the methodology guide. The exposure-zones guide covers what Dutton's dominant indirect exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.