Gaylord, MI
How exposed is Gaylord to wildfire?
Gaylord sits at the 35th percentile nationally for wildfire risk to structures — close to the middle of USFS's national wildfire-risk range — per USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities model, built from its 2,095 counted buildings, not vegetation cover alone. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, Gaylord's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 35th percentile nationally.
What "at risk" means for the buildings here
Indirect exposure is dominant in Gaylord (91% of 2,095 buildings): far enough from burnable vegetation to avoid flame contact, close enough for wind-blown embers. Only 9% sit in the Direct zone.
Where Gaylord ranks
Compare Gaylord's two percentiles: 86th within Michigan, only 35th nationally — a gap of 51 points that marks it as unusually exposed for its own state. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Gaylord ranks 20,639 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 7,206 by building count (1 is largest). Within Michigan alone, it ranks 106 of 745 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Michigan on its state page.
Shopping for coverage in Gaylord
Gaylord's moderate rating (35th percentile nationally) sits outside the range where wildfire risk alone reshapes an insurance market — still, a homeowner here loses nothing by comparing rates.
What would actually reduce this score
Because 91% of Gaylord's buildings sit in the Indirect zone, sealing the ember pathway (vents, roofing, gutters) is the intervention this page's data actually supports — see the home-hardening guide.
Where Gaylord's figures come from
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 2,095 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Gaylord. The exposure-zones guide covers what Gaylord's dominant indirect exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.