Fifty Lakes, MN
How exposed is Fifty Lakes to wildfire?
Fifty Lakes sits at the 44th percentile nationally for wildfire risk to structures — modestly above the national average for wildfire risk — per USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities model, built from its 793 counted buildings, not vegetation cover alone. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, Fifty Lakes's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 44th percentile nationally.
What "at risk" means for the buildings here
Direct exposure dominates in Fifty Lakes: 97.1% of its 793 buildings, versus 0.1% Indirect and 2.8% Minimal. Clearing space around a structure changes the outcome here more than any single building-material swap.
Where Fifty Lakes ranks
Compare Fifty Lakes's two percentiles: 63rd within Minnesota, only 44th nationally — a gap of 19 points that marks it as unusually exposed for its own state. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Fifty Lakes ranks 17,580 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 13,700 by building count (1 is largest). Within Minnesota alone, it ranks 337 of 914 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Minnesota on its state page.
What this risk score means for insurance
At the 44th national percentile, Fifty Lakes 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 Fifty Lakes
Because Direct exposure dominates in Fifty Lakes (97.1%), the highest-leverage fix is defensible space, not roofing or vents alone — covered in the home-hardening guide.
Where Fifty Lakes's figures come from
Fifty Lakes's 44th-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 Fifty Lakes's dominant direct exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.