Shirley, IL
Shirley wildfire risk explained
Shirley sits at the 3rd percentile nationally for wildfire risk to structures — among the lower wildfire-risk places nationally — per USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities model, built from its 102 counted buildings, not vegetation cover alone. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, Shirley's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 3rd percentile nationally.
Shirley's building exposure, zone by zone
Only 9.8% of Shirley's 102 buildings carry Direct exposure and 0% carry Indirect; the remaining 90.2% are Minimal, which shifts the risk driving this page's score toward the surrounding landscape rather than any one structure.
Shirley against the rest of the country
Shirley scores 3rd nationally and 17th within Illinois — close enough that its state context doesn't change the picture the national number already gives. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Shirley ranks 30,724 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 28,942 by building count (1 is largest). Within Illinois alone, it ranks 1,199 of 1,445 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Illinois on its state page.
Shirley and the insurance market
At the 3rd national percentile, Shirley rates low 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
With 90.2% of buildings rated Minimal exposure, Shirley gets less benefit from structure hardening than a Direct- or Indirect-dominant place would — the home-hardening guide explains why the zone matters.
Where Shirley's figures come from
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 102 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Shirley. The exposure-zones guide covers what Shirley's dominant minimal exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.