Hamilton, MT
Hamilton wildfire risk explained
Hamilton sits at the 90th percentile nationally for wildfire risk to structures — in USFS's highest wildfire-risk band nationally — per USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities model, built from its 2,492 counted buildings, not vegetation cover alone. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
USFS's separate burn-probability score — fire likelihood alone, before counting what's built there — puts Hamilton at the 92nd percentile, close to its 90th-percentile risk score.
Where Hamilton's buildings actually sit
Indirect exposure is dominant in Hamilton (83.8% of 2,492 buildings): far enough from burnable vegetation to avoid flame contact, close enough for wind-blown embers. Only 5.1% sit in the Direct zone.
Hamilton against the rest of the country
Hamilton's risk sits at a similar level relative to Montana (76th percentile statewide) as it does nationally (90th) — this place isn't unusual for its own state either way. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Hamilton ranks 3,186 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 6,310 by building count (1 is largest). Within Montana alone, it ranks 113 of 475 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Montana on its state page.
Hamilton and the insurance market
Hamilton's very high rating (90th percentile) puts it among the places where the national carrier-pullback trend is most relevant — not a guarantee of a coverage problem, but a reason to shop rather than assume.
Lowering exposure, not just insuring around it
With ember exposure the dominant pattern in Hamilton (83.8% 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
Hamilton's 90th-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 Hamilton, see the exposure-zones guide.