Ellsworth, WI
Ellsworth wildfire risk explained
USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities model puts Ellsworth at the 20th national percentile for risk to structures, among the lower wildfire-risk places nationally — a score built from 1,596 actual buildings. (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 20th percentile nationally.
Ellsworth's building exposure, zone by zone
60.5% of Ellsworth's 1,596 buildings fall in USFS's Indirect exposure zone — ember cast rather than direct flame — against 28.7% Direct and 10.8% Minimal. Vent screens and roofing material matter more here than lot clearing alone.
Where Ellsworth ranks
Ellsworth scores 20th nationally and 31st within Wisconsin — close enough that its state context doesn't change the picture the national number already gives. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Ellsworth ranks 25,264 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 8,786 by building count (1 is largest). Within Wisconsin alone, it ranks 560 of 808 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Wisconsin on its state page.
Shopping for coverage in Ellsworth
Ellsworth's low rating (20th 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
Ellsworth's 60.5% 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 Ellsworth's figures come from
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 1,596 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Ellsworth. The exposure-zones guide covers what Ellsworth's dominant indirect exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.