McPherson, KS
How exposed is McPherson to wildfire?
McPherson sits at the 28th percentile nationally for wildfire risk to structures — close to the middle of USFS's national wildfire-risk range — per USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities model, built from its 6,995 counted buildings, not vegetation cover alone. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, McPherson's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 25th percentile nationally.
What "at risk" means for the buildings here
USFS classifies 96.7% of McPherson's buildings as Minimal exposure, the largest of the three zones here by a wide margin over 3.3% Direct and 0% Indirect — a landscape-level risk rather than a building-by-building one. At 6,995 buildings, this is a substantial built environment, so the shares below describe a real population of structures, not a handful of edge cases.
McPherson against the rest of the country
McPherson ranks lower within Kansas (8th percentile statewide) than its 28th national percentile suggests alone — a calmer spot in a state where wildfire risk generally runs high. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, McPherson ranks 22,593 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 2,468 by building count (1 is largest). Within Kansas alone, it ranks 665 of 721 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Kansas on its state page.
Shopping for coverage in McPherson
McPherson's moderate rating (28th percentile nationally) sits outside the range where wildfire risk alone reshapes an insurance market — still, a homeowner here loses nothing by comparing rates.
What would actually reduce this score
Even with 96.7% of McPherson outside USFS's Direct and Indirect zones, basic hardening — gutter maintenance, ember-resistant vents — is inexpensive relative to the regional burn-probability risk noted above. Details in the home-hardening guide.
Where McPherson's figures come from
McPherson's 28th-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 McPherson's dominant minimal exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.