Onaka, SD
How exposed is Onaka to wildfire?
Out of every US place USFS scores, Onaka lands at the 57th percentile for wildfire risk to structures — modestly above the national average for wildfire risk — a figure built from its 65 buildings, not the land around them. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, Onaka's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 55th percentile nationally.
What "at risk" means for the buildings here
65 buildings are counted in Onaka, and 63.1% of them sit in USFS's Direct exposure zone — flame contact, not just ember cast, is the live possibility for most of them, against 1.5% rated Minimal.
Onaka against the rest of the country
Inside South Dakota, Onaka sits at just the 42nd percentile even though it scores 57th nationally — the state's overall wildfire exposure is high enough to make this a relatively quiet corner of it. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Onaka ranks 13,564 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 30,482 by building count (1 is largest). Within South Dakota alone, it ranks 258 of 439 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for South Dakota on its state page.
What this risk score means for insurance
At the 57th national percentile, Onaka rates elevated for wildfire risk — well short of the threshold where insurers have been withdrawing coverage, though comparing a quote costs nothing either way.
What would actually reduce this score
Because Direct exposure dominates in Onaka (63.1%), the highest-leverage fix is defensible space, not roofing or vents alone — covered in the home-hardening guide.
Where Onaka's figures come from
Onaka's 57th-percentile score and its burn-probability figure both come from the same USFS workbook, documented in the methodology guide. The exposure-zones guide covers what Onaka's dominant direct exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.