Motley, MN
Motley wildfire risk explained
Out of every US place USFS scores, Motley lands at the 56th percentile for wildfire risk to structures — modestly above the national average for wildfire risk — a figure built from its 477 buildings, not the land around them. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
USFS's separate burn-probability score — fire likelihood alone, before counting what's built there — puts Motley at the 56th percentile, close to its 56th-percentile risk score.
What "at risk" means for the buildings here
Indirect exposure is dominant in Motley (66.5% of 477 buildings): far enough from burnable vegetation to avoid flame contact, close enough for wind-blown embers. Only 33.5% sit in the Direct zone.
Where Motley ranks
Motley's 81st-percentile standing inside Minnesota outpaces its 56th national percentile — this is a hotter spot than most of its own state, even though the state as a whole runs cooler nationally. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Motley ranks 13,994 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 17,758 by building count (1 is largest). Within Minnesota alone, it ranks 171 of 914 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Minnesota on its state page.
Motley and the insurance market
Motley's elevated wildfire rating (56th percentile) isn't the kind of score driving the carrier pullback making news in the highest-risk Western markets — but a standard homeowners quote is still worth comparing on its own terms.
Lowering exposure, not just insuring around it
With ember exposure the dominant pattern in Motley (66.5% Indirect), vent screens and roofing material tend to matter more than lot clearing alone. The home-hardening guide covers both.
Where Motley's figures come from
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 477 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Motley. The exposure-zones guide covers what Motley's dominant indirect exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.