Jefferson City, MT
Jefferson City wildfire risk explained
USFS scores Jefferson City at the 94th national percentile for wildfire risk to structures (in USFS's highest wildfire-risk band nationally), a figure built from 479 real buildings rather than raw vegetation cover. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, Jefferson City's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 90th percentile nationally.
Where Jefferson City's buildings actually sit
USFS classifies 97.5% of Jefferson City's buildings as Direct exposure, higher than its 2.5% Indirect share and far above its 0% Minimal share — a profile where 467 structures sit close enough to vegetation that lot clearing matters most.
How Jefferson City compares
Jefferson City's risk sits at a similar level relative to Montana (85th percentile statewide) as it does nationally (94th) — this place isn't unusual for its own state either way. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Jefferson City ranks 2,015 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 17,727 by building count (1 is largest). Within Montana alone, it ranks 73 of 475 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Montana on its state page.
Jefferson City and the insurance market
Jefferson City's very high rating (94th 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.
Hardening a home in Jefferson City
With 97.5% of Jefferson City in Direct exposure, defensible-space clearing and ember-resistant construction (vents, Class-A roofing) address the exposure this page's own numbers describe, not a generic checklist. See the home-hardening guide.
Where Jefferson City's figures come from
Every one of the two percentiles behind Jefferson City's 2,015-place national rank traces to USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities dataset — see the methodology guide. The exposure-zones guide covers what Jefferson City's dominant direct exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.