Howell, MI
Howell, MI's wildfire risk, in USFS's own numbers
USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities model puts Howell at the 18th national percentile for risk to structures, among the lower wildfire-risk places nationally — a score built from 3,578 actual buildings. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Fire likelihood alone (USFS's burn-probability figure) ranks Howell at the 19th national percentile — 2 points above its risk-to-structures score, a gap driven by how much is actually built there.
What "at risk" means for the buildings here
3,578 buildings are counted in Howell, and 67.8% of them are Indirect exposure — ember-driven risk rather than the 6.2% in Direct exposure or the 26% rated Minimal.
Where Howell ranks
Howell's 60th-percentile standing inside Michigan outpaces its 18th 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, Howell ranks 25,970 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 4,681 by building count (1 is largest). Within Michigan alone, it ranks 303 of 745 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Michigan on its state page.
Shopping for coverage in Howell
At the 18th national percentile, Howell rates low for wildfire risk — well short of the threshold where insurers have been withdrawing coverage, though comparing a quote costs nothing either way.
Hardening a home in Howell
With ember exposure the dominant pattern in Howell (67.8% Indirect), vent screens and roofing material tend to matter more than lot clearing alone. The home-hardening guide covers both.
Where Howell's figures come from
Every one of the two percentiles behind Howell's 25,970-place national rank traces to USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities dataset — see the methodology guide. The exposure-zones guide covers what Howell's dominant indirect exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.