Ekalaka, MT
Ekalaka wildfire risk explained
Out of every US place USFS scores, Ekalaka lands at the 83rd percentile for wildfire risk to structures — in USFS's highest wildfire-risk band nationally — a figure built from its 459 buildings, not the land around them. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, Ekalaka's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 83rd percentile nationally.
Where Ekalaka's buildings actually sit
77.3% of Ekalaka's 459 buildings fall in USFS's Indirect exposure zone — ember cast rather than direct flame — against 22.7% Direct and 0% Minimal. Vent screens and roofing material matter more here than lot clearing alone.
Ekalaka against the rest of the country
Ekalaka ranks lower within Montana (59th percentile statewide) than its 83rd national percentile suggests alone — a calmer spot in a state where wildfire risk generally runs high. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Ekalaka ranks 5,261 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 18,079 by building count (1 is largest). Within Montana alone, it ranks 197 of 475 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Montana on its state page.
What this risk score means for insurance
Ekalaka's 83rd-percentile, very high rating is the kind of score behind a broader national pattern: insurers pulling back from the highest wildfire-risk markets, non-renewing or declining new policies outright, most visibly in California. Shopping around, not assuming automatic renewal, tends to matter here.
Lowering exposure, not just insuring around it
Ekalaka's 77.3% 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 Ekalaka's figures come from
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 459 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Ekalaka. The exposure-zones guide covers what Ekalaka's dominant indirect exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.