Sand Coulee, MT
Sand Coulee wildfire risk explained
Out of every US place USFS scores, Sand Coulee lands at the 47th percentile for wildfire risk to structures — modestly above the national average for wildfire risk — a figure built from its 166 buildings, not the land around them. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, Sand Coulee's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 47th percentile nationally.
What "at risk" means for the buildings here
166 buildings are counted in Sand Coulee, and 100% of them sit in USFS's Direct exposure zone — flame contact, not just ember cast, is the live possibility for most of them, against 0% rated Minimal.
How Sand Coulee compares
Sand Coulee ranks lower within Montana (11th percentile statewide) than its 47th national percentile suggests alone — a calmer spot in a state where wildfire risk generally runs high. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Sand Coulee ranks 16,615 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 26,180 by building count (1 is largest). Within Montana alone, it ranks 424 of 475 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Montana on its state page.
Sand Coulee and the insurance market
At the 47th national percentile, Sand Coulee 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
Sand Coulee's 100% Direct-exposure share means lot clearing around the structure typically outweighs any single material upgrade here. The home-hardening guide ranks the options for a place shaped like this.
More on how this number was built
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 166 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Sand Coulee. For more on what direct exposure implies beyond Sand Coulee, see the exposure-zones guide.