Mount Crested Butte, CO
How exposed is Mount Crested Butte to wildfire?
Mount Crested Butte sits at the 58th 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 700 counted buildings, not vegetation cover alone. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, Mount Crested Butte's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 53rd percentile nationally.
Where Mount Crested Butte's buildings actually sit
Direct exposure dominates in Mount Crested Butte: 55.6% of its 700 buildings, versus 44.4% Indirect and 0% Minimal. Clearing space around a structure changes the outcome here more than any single building-material swap.
Where Mount Crested Butte ranks
Mount Crested Butte's 58th national percentile looks worse in isolation than its 26th ranking inside Colorado does — this place is on the milder end for its own state, by 32 points. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Mount Crested Butte ranks 13,354 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 14,654 by building count (1 is largest). Within Colorado alone, it ranks 349 of 472 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Colorado on its state page.
What this risk score means for insurance
Mount Crested Butte's elevated rating (58th percentile nationally) sits outside the range where wildfire risk alone reshapes an insurance market — still, a homeowner here loses nothing by comparing rates.
Hardening a home in Mount Crested Butte
With 55.6% of Mount Crested Butte in Direct exposure, defensible-space clearing and ember-resistant construction (vents, Class-A roofing) address the exposure this page's own numbers describe, not a generic checklist. See the home-hardening guide.
Where Mount Crested Butte's figures come from
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 700 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Mount Crested Butte. The exposure-zones guide covers what Mount Crested Butte's dominant direct exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.