Lake Lafayette, MO
Lake Lafayette wildfire risk explained
USFS scores Lake Lafayette at the 46th national percentile for wildfire risk to structures (modestly above the national average for wildfire risk), a figure built from 202 real buildings rather than raw vegetation cover. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Fire likelihood alone (USFS's burn-probability figure) ranks Lake Lafayette at the 47th national percentile — 1 points above its risk-to-structures score, a gap driven by how much is actually built there.
Where Lake Lafayette's buildings actually sit
65.8% of Lake Lafayette's 202 buildings sit in USFS's Direct exposure zone, roughly 133 structures close enough to burnable vegetation for flame contact, not just embers — 0% fall in the Indirect, ember-only zone and 34.2% are Minimal.
Lake Lafayette against the rest of the country
Lake Lafayette's 46th national percentile looks worse in isolation than its 26th ranking inside Missouri does — this place is on the milder end for its own state, by 21 points. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Lake Lafayette ranks 16,961 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 24,769 by building count (1 is largest). Within Missouri alone, it ranks 792 of 1,062 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Missouri on its state page.
Shopping for coverage in Lake Lafayette
At the 46th national percentile, Lake Lafayette rates elevated 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 Lake Lafayette
Because Direct exposure dominates in Lake Lafayette (65.8%), the highest-leverage fix is defensible space, not roofing or vents alone — covered in the home-hardening guide.
Where Lake Lafayette's figures come from
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 202 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Lake Lafayette. The exposure-zones guide covers what Lake Lafayette's dominant direct exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.