Gildford, MT
Gildford, MT's wildfire risk, in USFS's own numbers
Gildford sits at the 48th 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 268 counted buildings, not vegetation cover alone. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, Gildford's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 46th percentile nationally.
What "at risk" means for the buildings here
USFS puts 64.2% of Gildford's 268 buildings in the Indirect exposure zone, versus 35.8% Direct and 0% Minimal — a place where the fire doesn't need to reach the structure directly for embers to.
Gildford against the rest of the country
Gildford ranks lower within Montana (12th percentile statewide) than its 48th national percentile suggests alone — a calmer spot in a state where wildfire risk generally runs high. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Gildford ranks 16,266 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 22,571 by building count (1 is largest). Within Montana alone, it ranks 419 of 475 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Montana on its state page.
What this risk score means for insurance
Gildford's elevated wildfire rating (48th percentile) isn't the kind of score driving the carrier pullback making news in the highest-risk Western markets — but a standard homeowners quote is still worth comparing on its own terms.
Lowering exposure, not just insuring around it
Gildford's 64.2% Indirect-exposure share points at embers, not flame contact, as the main pathway — ember-resistant vents and non-combustible roofing rank ahead of defensible space here. Detail in the home-hardening guide.
Where Gildford's figures come from
Every one of the two percentiles behind Gildford's 16,266-place national rank traces to USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities dataset — see the methodology guide. The exposure-zones guide covers what Gildford's dominant indirect exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.