Ottertail, MN
Ottertail wildfire risk explained
Ottertail's 741 buildings earn a 53rd-percentile wildfire-risk score nationally under USFS's model — modestly above the national average for wildfire risk. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
USFS's separate burn-probability score — fire likelihood alone, before counting what's built there — puts Ottertail at the 48th percentile, close to its 53rd-percentile risk score.
What "at risk" means for the buildings here
USFS classifies 63.3% of Ottertail's buildings as Direct exposure, higher than its 5% Indirect share and far above its 31.7% Minimal share — a profile where 469 structures sit close enough to vegetation that lot clearing matters most.
Where Ottertail ranks
Compare Ottertail's two percentiles: 79th within Minnesota, only 53rd nationally — a gap of 25 points that marks it as unusually exposed for its own state. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Ottertail ranks 14,686 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 14,211 by building count (1 is largest). Within Minnesota alone, it ranks 196 of 914 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Minnesota on its state page.
Ottertail and the insurance market
At the 53rd national percentile, Ottertail 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 Ottertail (63.3%), the highest-leverage fix is defensible space, not roofing or vents alone — covered in the home-hardening guide.
Where Ottertail's figures come from
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 741 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Ottertail. The exposure-zones guide covers what Ottertail's dominant direct exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.