Pendleton, MO
Pendleton wildfire risk explained
Pendleton sits at the 56th 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 42 counted buildings, not vegetation cover alone. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
USFS's separate burn-probability score — fire likelihood alone, before counting what's built there — puts Pendleton at the 58th percentile, close to its 56th-percentile risk score.
What "at risk" means for the buildings here
64.3% of Pendleton's 42 buildings sit in USFS's Direct exposure zone, roughly 27 structures close enough to burnable vegetation for flame contact, not just embers — 35.7% fall in the Indirect, ember-only zone and 0% are Minimal.
Pendleton against the rest of the country
Pendleton's risk sits at a similar level relative to Missouri (45th percentile statewide) as it does nationally (56th) — this place isn't unusual for its own state either way. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Pendleton ranks 13,841 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 31,114 by building count (1 is largest). Within Missouri alone, it ranks 589 of 1,062 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Missouri on its state page.
Pendleton and the insurance market
At the 56th national percentile, Pendleton rates elevated for wildfire risk — well short of the threshold where insurers have been withdrawing coverage, though comparing a quote costs nothing either way.
Lowering exposure, not just insuring around it
Because Direct exposure dominates in Pendleton (64.3%), the highest-leverage fix is defensible space, not roofing or vents alone — covered in the home-hardening guide.
More on how this number was built
Pendleton's 56th-percentile score and its burn-probability figure both come from the same USFS workbook, documented in the methodology guide. For more on what direct exposure implies beyond Pendleton, see the exposure-zones guide.