Hawley, MN
Hawley wildfire risk explained
Hawley's 1,143 buildings earn a 47th-percentile wildfire-risk score nationally under USFS's model — modestly above the national average for wildfire risk. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Fire likelihood alone (USFS's burn-probability figure) ranks Hawley at the 45th national percentile — 2 points below its risk-to-structures score, a gap driven by how much is actually built there.
Where Hawley's buildings actually sit
Most of Hawley's buildings (83.9% of 1,143) fall outside USFS's Direct and Indirect zones entirely — that doesn't zero out the score above, it means the risk is regional, not structure-by-structure.
How Hawley compares
Hawley's 69th-percentile standing inside Minnesota outpaces its 47th national percentile — this is a hotter spot than most of its own state, even though the state as a whole runs cooler nationally. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Hawley ranks 16,826 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 11,002 by building count (1 is largest). Within Minnesota alone, it ranks 283 of 914 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Minnesota on its state page.
Shopping for coverage in Hawley
Hawley's elevated rating (47th 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
Even with 83.9% of Hawley 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 Hawley's figures come from
Hawley's 47th-percentile score and its burn-probability figure both come from the same USFS workbook, documented in the methodology guide. The exposure-zones guide covers what Hawley's dominant minimal exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.