Ethan, SD
How exposed is Ethan to wildfire?
Out of every US place USFS scores, Ethan lands at the 57th percentile for wildfire risk to structures — modestly above the national average for wildfire risk — a figure built from its 259 buildings, not the land around them. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, Ethan's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 56th percentile nationally.
Where Ethan's buildings actually sit
Most of Ethan's buildings (65.3% of 259) fall outside USFS's Direct and Indirect zones entirely — that doesn't zero out the score above, it means the risk is regional, not structure-by-structure.
Where Ethan ranks
Ethan's 57th national percentile looks worse in isolation than its 41st ranking inside South Dakota does — this place is on the milder end for its own state, by 16 points. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Ethan ranks 13,629 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 22,870 by building count (1 is largest). Within South Dakota alone, it ranks 261 of 439 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for South Dakota on its state page.
Ethan and the insurance market
At the 57th national percentile, Ethan rates elevated for wildfire risk — well short of the threshold where insurers have been withdrawing coverage, though comparing a quote costs nothing either way.
Lowering exposure, not just insuring around it
Even with 65.3% of Ethan 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.
More on how this number was built
Ethan's 57th-percentile score and its burn-probability figure both come from the same USFS workbook, documented in the methodology guide. For more on what minimal exposure implies beyond Ethan, see the exposure-zones guide.