Pondera Colony, MT
Pondera Colony wildfire risk explained
Out of every US place USFS scores, Pondera Colony lands at the 48th percentile for wildfire risk to structures — modestly above the national average for wildfire risk — a figure built from its 38 buildings, not the land around them. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, Pondera Colony's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 48th percentile nationally.
Pondera Colony's building exposure, zone by zone
Indirect exposure is dominant in Pondera Colony (81.6% of 38 buildings): far enough from burnable vegetation to avoid flame contact, close enough for wind-blown embers. Only 18.4% sit in the Direct zone.
Pondera Colony against the rest of the country
Pondera Colony's 48th national percentile looks worse in isolation than its 11th ranking inside Montana does — this place is on the milder end for its own state, by 37 points. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Pondera Colony ranks 16,420 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 31,211 by building count (1 is largest). Within Montana alone, it ranks 423 of 475 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Montana on its state page.
What this risk score means for insurance
Pondera Colony's elevated wildfire rating (48th percentile) isn't the kind of score driving the carrier pullback making news in the highest-risk Western markets — but a standard homeowners quote is still worth comparing on its own terms.
Lowering exposure, not just insuring around it
Because 81.6% of Pondera Colony's buildings sit in the Indirect zone, sealing the ember pathway (vents, roofing, gutters) is the intervention this page's data actually supports — see the home-hardening guide.
Where Pondera Colony's figures come from
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 38 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Pondera Colony. The exposure-zones guide covers what Pondera Colony's dominant indirect exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.