Shipshewana Lake, IN
How exposed is Shipshewana Lake to wildfire?
USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities model puts Shipshewana Lake at the 11th national percentile for risk to structures, among the lower wildfire-risk places nationally — a score built from 201 actual buildings. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, Shipshewana Lake's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 12th percentile nationally.
Shipshewana Lake's building exposure, zone by zone
52.2% of Shipshewana Lake's 201 buildings sit in USFS's Direct exposure zone, roughly 105 structures close enough to burnable vegetation for flame contact, not just embers — 41.3% fall in the Indirect, ember-only zone and 6.5% are Minimal.
Shipshewana Lake against the rest of the country
Compare Shipshewana Lake's two percentiles: 59th within Indiana, only 11th nationally — a gap of 48 points that marks it as unusually exposed for its own state. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Shipshewana Lake ranks 28,010 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 24,796 by building count (1 is largest). Within Indiana alone, it ranks 394 of 967 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Indiana on its state page.
Shipshewana Lake and the insurance market
At the 11th national percentile, Shipshewana Lake rates low 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
Because Direct exposure dominates in Shipshewana Lake (52.2%), the highest-leverage fix is defensible space, not roofing or vents alone — covered in the home-hardening guide.
Where Shipshewana Lake's figures come from
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 201 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Shipshewana Lake. The exposure-zones guide covers what Shipshewana Lake's dominant direct exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.