Ellsworth, KS
How exposed is Ellsworth to wildfire?
USFS scores Ellsworth at the 73rd national percentile for wildfire risk to structures (well above the national norm for wildfire risk), a figure built from 1,633 real buildings rather than raw vegetation cover. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, Ellsworth's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 67th percentile nationally.
Ellsworth's building exposure, zone by zone
60.5% of Ellsworth's 1,633 buildings sit in USFS's Minimal exposure zone, with only 8.6% rated Direct — risk here comes from regional burn probability more than proximity to burnable vegetation at the structure itself.
Where Ellsworth ranks
Ellsworth's risk sits at a similar level relative to Kansas (71st percentile statewide) as it does nationally (73rd) — this place isn't unusual for its own state either way. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Ellsworth ranks 8,506 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 8,639 by building count (1 is largest). Within Kansas alone, it ranks 212 of 721 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Kansas on its state page.
Shopping for coverage in Ellsworth
At the 73rd percentile nationally, Ellsworth 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.
What would actually reduce this score
Even with 60.5% of Ellsworth 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 Ellsworth's figures come from
Ellsworth's 73rd-percentile score and its burn-probability figure both come from the same USFS workbook, documented in the methodology guide. The exposure-zones guide covers what Ellsworth's dominant minimal exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.