Heil, ND
How exposed is Heil to wildfire?
USFS scores Heil at the 51st national percentile for wildfire risk to structures (modestly above the national average for wildfire risk), a figure built from 57 real buildings rather than raw vegetation cover. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Fire likelihood alone (USFS's burn-probability figure) ranks Heil at the 49th national percentile — 2 points below its risk-to-structures score, a gap driven by how much is actually built there.
Heil's building exposure, zone by zone
56.1% of Heil's 57 buildings sit in USFS's Direct exposure zone, roughly 32 structures close enough to burnable vegetation for flame contact, not just embers — 43.9% fall in the Indirect, ember-only zone and 0% are Minimal.
Where Heil ranks
Heil's risk sits at a similar level relative to North Dakota (55th percentile statewide) as it does nationally (51st) — this place isn't unusual for its own state either way. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Heil ranks 15,478 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 30,751 by building count (1 is largest). Within North Dakota alone, it ranks 182 of 402 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for North Dakota on its state page.
What this risk score means for insurance
Heil's elevated rating (51st percentile nationally) sits outside the range where wildfire risk alone reshapes an insurance market — still, a homeowner here loses nothing by comparing rates.
Hardening a home in Heil
Because Direct exposure dominates in Heil (56.1%), the highest-leverage fix is defensible space, not roofing or vents alone — covered in the home-hardening guide.
Where Heil's figures come from
Heil's 51st-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 Heil's dominant direct exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.