Shindler, SD
Shindler, SD's wildfire risk, in USFS's own numbers
Shindler sits at the 56th 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 288 counted buildings, not vegetation cover alone. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, Shindler's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 53rd percentile nationally.
Shindler's building exposure, zone by zone
Direct exposure dominates in Shindler: 84.4% of its 288 buildings, versus 1.7% Indirect and 13.9% Minimal. Clearing space around a structure changes the outcome here more than any single building-material swap.
How Shindler compares
Shindler's 56th national percentile looks worse in isolation than its 40th ranking inside South Dakota does — this place is on the milder end for its own state, by 17 points. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Shindler ranks 13,785 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 21,976 by building count (1 is largest). Within South Dakota alone, it ranks 265 of 439 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for South Dakota on its state page.
What this risk score means for insurance
At the 56th national percentile, Shindler rates elevated for wildfire risk — well short of the threshold where insurers have been withdrawing coverage, though comparing a quote costs nothing either way.
What would actually reduce this score
Because Direct exposure dominates in Shindler (84.4%), the highest-leverage fix is defensible space, not roofing or vents alone — covered in the home-hardening guide.
Where Shindler's figures come from
Shindler's 56th-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 Shindler's dominant direct exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.