Gilliam, MO
Gilliam, MO's wildfire risk, in USFS's own numbers
USFS scores Gilliam at the 52nd national percentile for wildfire risk to structures (modestly above the national average for wildfire risk), a figure built from 160 real buildings rather than raw vegetation cover. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, Gilliam's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 53rd percentile nationally.
Where Gilliam's buildings actually sit
78.1% of Gilliam's 160 buildings fall in USFS's Indirect exposure zone — ember cast rather than direct flame — against 21.9% Direct and 0% Minimal. Vent screens and roofing material matter more here than lot clearing alone.
Gilliam against the rest of the country
Gilliam's 52nd national percentile looks worse in isolation than its 36th ranking inside Missouri does — this place is on the milder end for its own state, by 16 points. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Gilliam ranks 15,285 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 26,434 by building count (1 is largest). Within Missouri alone, it ranks 683 of 1,062 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Missouri on its state page.
What this risk score means for insurance
Gilliam's elevated rating (52nd 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
With ember exposure the dominant pattern in Gilliam (78.1% Indirect), vent screens and roofing material tend to matter more than lot clearing alone. The home-hardening guide covers both.
More on how this number was built
Gilliam's 52nd-percentile score and its burn-probability figure both come from the same USFS workbook, documented in the methodology guide. For more on what indirect exposure implies beyond Gilliam, see the exposure-zones guide.