Marmarth, ND
Marmarth wildfire risk explained
Marmarth sits at the 86th percentile nationally for wildfire risk to structures — in USFS's highest wildfire-risk band nationally — per USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities model, built from its 260 counted buildings, not vegetation cover alone. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, Marmarth's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 87th percentile nationally.
Marmarth's building exposure, zone by zone
Indirect exposure is dominant in Marmarth (56.5% of 260 buildings): far enough from burnable vegetation to avoid flame contact, close enough for wind-blown embers. Only 43.5% sit in the Direct zone.
Marmarth against the rest of the country
Marmarth's risk sits at a similar level relative to North Dakota (97th percentile statewide) as it does nationally (86th) — this place isn't unusual for its own state either way. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Marmarth ranks 4,515 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 22,831 by building count (1 is largest). Within North Dakota alone, it ranks 12 of 402 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for North Dakota on its state page.
Marmarth and the insurance market
Marmarth's very high rating (86th 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.
Lowering exposure, not just insuring around it
With ember exposure the dominant pattern in Marmarth (56.5% Indirect), vent screens and roofing material tend to matter more than lot clearing alone. The home-hardening guide covers both.
More on how this number was built
Marmarth's 86th-percentile score and its burn-probability figure both come from the same USFS workbook, documented in the methodology guide. For more on what indirect exposure implies beyond Marmarth, see the exposure-zones guide.