Elwood, IL
Elwood, IL's wildfire risk, in USFS's own numbers
Out of every US place USFS scores, Elwood lands at the 49th percentile for wildfire risk to structures — modestly above the national average for wildfire risk — a figure built from its 1,275 buildings, not the land around them. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Fire likelihood alone (USFS's burn-probability figure) ranks Elwood at the 51st national percentile — 2 points above its risk-to-structures score, a gap driven by how much is actually built there.
Where Elwood's buildings actually sit
USFS puts 44.1% of Elwood's 1,275 buildings in the Indirect exposure zone, versus 13.4% Direct and 42.5% Minimal — a place where the fire doesn't need to reach the structure directly for embers to.
Elwood against the rest of the country
Within Illinois, Elwood ranks higher (98th percentile) than it does nationally (49th) — one of the more fire-exposed places in a state that, overall, scores lower than that. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Elwood ranks 16,095 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 10,225 by building count (1 is largest). Within Illinois alone, it ranks 28 of 1,445 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Illinois on its state page.
Shopping for coverage in Elwood
At the 49th national percentile, Elwood rates elevated for wildfire risk — well short of the threshold where insurers have been withdrawing coverage, though comparing a quote costs nothing either way.
Hardening a home in Elwood
With ember exposure the dominant pattern in Elwood (44.1% Indirect), vent screens and roofing material tend to matter more than lot clearing alone. The home-hardening guide covers both.
Where Elwood's figures come from
Elwood's 49th-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 Elwood's dominant indirect exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.