Pilgrim, MI
How exposed is Pilgrim to wildfire?
Pilgrim sits at the 10th percentile nationally for wildfire risk to structures — among the lower wildfire-risk places nationally — per USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities model, built from its 147 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 Pilgrim at the 9th percentile, close to its 10th-percentile risk score.
Pilgrim's building exposure, zone by zone
Direct exposure dominates in Pilgrim: 89.8% of its 147 buildings, versus 9.5% Indirect and 0.7% Minimal. Clearing space around a structure changes the outcome here more than any single building-material swap.
Where Pilgrim ranks
Compare Pilgrim's two percentiles: 31st within Michigan, only 10th nationally — a gap of 22 points that marks it as unusually exposed for its own state. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Pilgrim ranks 28,525 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 26,988 by building count (1 is largest). Within Michigan alone, it ranks 514 of 745 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Michigan on its state page.
What this risk score means for insurance
Pilgrim's low rating (10th percentile nationally) sits outside the range where wildfire risk alone reshapes an insurance market — still, a homeowner here loses nothing by comparing rates.
Lowering exposure, not just insuring around it
Because Direct exposure dominates in Pilgrim (89.8%), the highest-leverage fix is defensible space, not roofing or vents alone — covered in the home-hardening guide.
Where Pilgrim's figures come from
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 147 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Pilgrim. The exposure-zones guide covers what Pilgrim's dominant direct exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.