Galt, IA
Galt wildfire risk explained
Galt's 52 buildings earn a 3rd-percentile wildfire-risk score nationally under USFS's model — among the lower wildfire-risk places nationally. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Fire likelihood alone (USFS's burn-probability figure) ranks Galt at the 2nd national percentile — 0 points below its risk-to-structures score, a gap driven by how much is actually built there.
What "at risk" means for the buildings here
71.2% of Galt's 52 buildings sit in USFS's Minimal exposure zone, with only 28.9% rated Direct — risk here comes from regional burn probability more than proximity to burnable vegetation at the structure itself.
Where Galt ranks
Galt's risk sits at a similar level relative to Iowa (5th percentile statewide) as it does nationally (3rd) — this place isn't unusual for its own state either way. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Galt ranks 30,637 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 30,872 by building count (1 is largest). Within Iowa alone, it ranks 966 of 1,017 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Iowa on its state page.
What this risk score means for insurance
Galt's low rating (3rd percentile nationally) sits outside the range where wildfire risk alone reshapes an insurance market — still, a homeowner here loses nothing by comparing rates.
Hardening a home in Galt
Even with 71.2% of Galt 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 Galt's figures come from
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 52 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Galt. The exposure-zones guide covers what Galt's dominant minimal exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.