Mongo, IN
Mongo, IN's wildfire risk, in USFS's own numbers
USFS scores Mongo at the 14th national percentile for wildfire risk to structures (among the lower wildfire-risk places nationally), a figure built from 176 real buildings rather than raw vegetation cover. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Fire likelihood alone (USFS's burn-probability figure) ranks Mongo at the 14th national percentile — 0 points above its risk-to-structures score, a gap driven by how much is actually built there.
Where Mongo's buildings actually sit
USFS classifies 90.3% of Mongo's buildings as Direct exposure, higher than its 9.7% Indirect share and far above its 0% Minimal share — a profile where 159 structures sit close enough to vegetation that lot clearing matters most.
Where Mongo ranks
Compare Mongo's two percentiles: 67th within Indiana, only 14th nationally — a gap of 53 points that marks it as unusually exposed for its own state. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Mongo ranks 27,003 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 25,776 by building count (1 is largest). Within Indiana alone, it ranks 323 of 967 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Indiana on its state page.
Shopping for coverage in Mongo
Mongo's low rating (14th 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
Because Direct exposure dominates in Mongo (90.3%), the highest-leverage fix is defensible space, not roofing or vents alone — covered in the home-hardening guide.
Where Mongo's figures come from
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 176 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Mongo. The exposure-zones guide covers what Mongo's dominant direct exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.