Shelby, MT
Shelby, MT's wildfire risk, in USFS's own numbers
Out of every US place USFS scores, Shelby lands at the 57th percentile for wildfire risk to structures — modestly above the national average for wildfire risk — a figure built from its 1,903 buildings, not the land around them. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
USFS's separate burn-probability score — fire likelihood alone, before counting what's built there — puts Shelby at the 57th percentile, close to its 57th-percentile risk score.
What "at risk" means for the buildings here
USFS puts 89.1% of Shelby's 1,903 buildings in the Indirect exposure zone, versus 10.9% Direct and 0% Minimal — a place where the fire doesn't need to reach the structure directly for embers to.
How Shelby compares
Shelby ranks lower within Montana (21st percentile statewide) than its 57th national percentile suggests alone — a calmer spot in a state where wildfire risk generally runs high. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Shelby ranks 13,654 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 7,753 by building count (1 is largest). Within Montana alone, it ranks 378 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
At the 57th national percentile, Shelby 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
Shelby's 89.1% 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 Shelby's figures come from
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 1,903 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Shelby. The exposure-zones guide covers what Shelby's dominant indirect exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.