Medill, MO
Medill wildfire risk explained
Medill sits at the 55th percentile nationally for wildfire risk to structures — modestly above the national average for wildfire risk — per USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities model, built from its 95 counted buildings, not vegetation cover alone. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, Medill's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 57th percentile nationally.
Where Medill's buildings actually sit
Most of Medill's buildings (67.4%) sit in the Indirect zone, where wind-blown embers rather than flame front are the mechanism USFS is scoring — ember-resistant vents and non-combustible roofing are the interventions this pattern favors, more than defensible space alone.
How Medill compares
Medill scores 55th nationally and 42nd within Missouri — close enough that its state context doesn't change the picture the national number already gives. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Medill ranks 14,314 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 29,275 by building count (1 is largest). Within Missouri alone, it ranks 621 of 1,062 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Missouri on its state page.
What this risk score means for insurance
Medill's elevated rating (55th 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
With ember exposure the dominant pattern in Medill (67.4% Indirect), vent screens and roofing material tend to matter more than lot clearing alone. The home-hardening guide covers both.
Where Medill's figures come from
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 95 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Medill. The exposure-zones guide covers what Medill's dominant indirect exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.