Morton, MS
How exposed is Morton to wildfire?
USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities model puts Morton at the 70th national percentile for risk to structures, well above the national norm for wildfire risk — a score built from 1,643 actual buildings. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, Morton's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 73rd percentile nationally.
Where Morton's buildings actually sit
1,643 buildings are counted in Morton, and 73.3% of them sit in USFS's Direct exposure zone — flame contact, not just ember cast, is the live possibility for most of them, against 0% rated Minimal.
Morton against the rest of the country
Morton scores 70th nationally and 59th within Mississippi — close enough that its state context doesn't change the picture the national number already gives. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Morton ranks 9,328 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 8,610 by building count (1 is largest). Within Mississippi alone, it ranks 170 of 420 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Mississippi on its state page.
What this risk score means for insurance
Morton's high rating (70th 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.
What would actually reduce this score
Because Direct exposure dominates in Morton (73.3%), the highest-leverage fix is defensible space, not roofing or vents alone — covered in the home-hardening guide.
Where Morton's figures come from
Every one of the two percentiles behind Morton's 9,328-place national rank traces to USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities dataset — see the methodology guide. The exposure-zones guide covers what Morton's dominant direct exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.