Ethel, MO
Ethel, MO's wildfire risk, in USFS's own numbers
Out of every US place USFS scores, Ethel lands at the 68th percentile for wildfire risk to structures — well above the national norm for wildfire risk — a figure built from its 98 buildings, not the land around them. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Fire likelihood alone (USFS's burn-probability figure) ranks Ethel at the 70th national percentile — 2 points above its risk-to-structures score, a gap driven by how much is actually built there.
Ethel's building exposure, zone by zone
USFS classifies 52% of Ethel's buildings as Direct exposure, higher than its 48% Indirect share and far above its 0% Minimal share — a profile where 51 structures sit close enough to vegetation that lot clearing matters most.
Ethel against the rest of the country
Ethel's risk sits at a similar level relative to Missouri (78th percentile statewide) as it does nationally (68th) — this place isn't unusual for its own state either way. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Ethel ranks 10,056 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 29,130 by building count (1 is largest). Within Missouri alone, it ranks 236 of 1,062 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Missouri on its state page.
What this risk score means for insurance
Ethel's high rating (68th percentile) puts it among the places where the national carrier-pullback trend is most relevant — not a guarantee of a coverage problem, but a reason to shop rather than assume.
What would actually reduce this score
With 52% of Ethel in Direct exposure, defensible-space clearing and ember-resistant construction (vents, Class-A roofing) address the exposure this page's own numbers describe, not a generic checklist. See the home-hardening guide.
More on how this number was built
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 98 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Ethel. For more on what direct exposure implies beyond Ethel, see the exposure-zones guide.