Florence, MN
Florence wildfire risk explained
USFS scores Florence at the 33rd national percentile for wildfire risk to structures (close to the middle of USFS's national wildfire-risk range), a figure built from 40 real buildings rather than raw vegetation cover. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
USFS's separate burn-probability score — fire likelihood alone, before counting what's built there — puts Florence at the 22nd percentile, lower than its 33rd-percentile risk score, because so much is actually built here.
What "at risk" means for the buildings here
Most of Florence's buildings (57.5% of 40) 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.
Florence against the rest of the country
Florence scores 33rd nationally and 41st within Minnesota — close enough that its state context doesn't change the picture the national number already gives. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Florence ranks 21,083 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 31,169 by building count (1 is largest). Within Minnesota alone, it ranks 541 of 914 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Minnesota on its state page.
Florence and the insurance market
At the 33rd national percentile, Florence rates moderate 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 Florence
Even with 57.5% of Florence 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.
Where Florence's figures come from
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 40 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Florence. The exposure-zones guide covers what Florence's dominant minimal exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.