Richey, MT
Richey wildfire risk explained
Richey sits at the 41st 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 276 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 Richey at the 40th percentile, close to its 41st-percentile risk score.
Richey's building exposure, zone by zone
81.9% of Richey's 276 buildings fall in USFS's Indirect exposure zone — ember cast rather than direct flame — against 18.1% Direct and 0% Minimal. Vent screens and roofing material matter more here than lot clearing alone.
Where Richey ranks
Richey ranks lower within Montana (8th percentile statewide) than its 41st national percentile suggests alone — a calmer spot in a state where wildfire risk generally runs high. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Richey ranks 18,566 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 22,323 by building count (1 is largest). Within Montana alone, it ranks 439 of 475 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Montana on its state page.
Shopping for coverage in Richey
Richey's elevated rating (41st percentile nationally) sits outside the range where wildfire risk alone reshapes an insurance market — still, a homeowner here loses nothing by comparing rates.
What would actually reduce this score
Because 81.9% of Richey'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 Richey's figures come from
Richey's 41st-percentile score and its burn-probability figure both come from the same USFS workbook, documented in the methodology guide. The exposure-zones guide covers what Richey's dominant indirect exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.