Lyons, SD
How exposed is Lyons to wildfire?
Lyons's 87 buildings earn a 46th-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.)
USFS's separate burn-probability score — fire likelihood alone, before counting what's built there — puts Lyons at the 45th percentile, close to its 46th-percentile risk score.
What "at risk" means for the buildings here
51.7% of Lyons's 87 buildings sit in USFS's Minimal exposure zone, with only 48.3% rated Direct — risk here comes from regional burn probability more than proximity to burnable vegetation at the structure itself.
How Lyons compares
Lyons ranks lower within South Dakota (23rd percentile statewide) than its 46th national percentile suggests alone — a calmer spot in a state where wildfire risk generally runs high. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Lyons ranks 17,064 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 29,631 by building count (1 is largest). Within South Dakota alone, it ranks 340 of 439 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for South Dakota on its state page.
What this risk score means for insurance
Lyons's elevated wildfire rating (46th percentile) isn't the kind of score driving the carrier pullback making news in the highest-risk Western markets — but a standard homeowners quote is still worth comparing on its own terms.
Hardening a home in Lyons
With 51.7% of buildings rated Minimal exposure, Lyons gets less benefit from structure hardening than a Direct- or Indirect-dominant place would — the home-hardening guide explains why the zone matters.
Where Lyons's figures come from
Lyons's 46th-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 Lyons's dominant minimal exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.