Port Austin, MI
How exposed is Port Austin to wildfire?
Port Austin 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 783 counted buildings, not vegetation cover alone. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, Port Austin's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 11th percentile nationally.
Where Port Austin's buildings actually sit
Most of Port Austin's buildings (69.2%) sit in the Indirect zone, where wind-blown embers rather than flame front are the mechanism USFS is scoring — ember-resistant vents and non-combustible roofing are the interventions this pattern favors, more than defensible space alone.
Where Port Austin ranks
Port Austin's 36th-percentile standing inside Michigan outpaces its 10th national percentile — this is a hotter spot than most of its own state, even though the state as a whole runs cooler nationally. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Port Austin ranks 28,283 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 13,786 by building count (1 is largest). Within Michigan alone, it ranks 484 of 745 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Michigan on its state page.
Shopping for coverage in Port Austin
At the 10th national percentile, Port Austin rates low for wildfire risk — well short of the threshold where insurers have been withdrawing coverage, though comparing a quote costs nothing either way.
Hardening a home in Port Austin
Port Austin's 69.2% Indirect-exposure share points at embers, not flame contact, as the main pathway — ember-resistant vents and non-combustible roofing rank ahead of defensible space here. Detail in the home-hardening guide.
Where Port Austin's figures come from
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 783 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Port Austin. The exposure-zones guide covers what Port Austin's dominant indirect exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.