Silver Lake, KS
Silver Lake wildfire risk explained
Out of every US place USFS scores, Silver Lake lands at the 49th percentile for wildfire risk to structures — modestly above the national average for wildfire risk — a figure built from its 658 buildings, not the land around them. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Fire likelihood alone (USFS's burn-probability figure) ranks Silver Lake at the 50th national percentile — 1 points above its risk-to-structures score, a gap driven by how much is actually built there.
Where Silver Lake's buildings actually sit
Most of Silver Lake's buildings (82.7% of 658) fall outside USFS's Direct and Indirect zones entirely — that doesn't zero out the score above, it means the risk is regional, not structure-by-structure.
Where Silver Lake ranks
Silver Lake ranks lower within Kansas (29th percentile statewide) than its 49th national percentile suggests alone — a calmer spot in a state where wildfire risk generally runs high. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Silver Lake ranks 16,097 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 15,085 by building count (1 is largest). Within Kansas alone, it ranks 509 of 721 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Kansas on its state page.
Shopping for coverage in Silver Lake
At the 49th national percentile, Silver Lake 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
Silver Lake's 82.7% Minimal-exposure share means structure-level hardening matters less here than it would elsewhere — still worth the low-cost basics, per the home-hardening guide.
Where Silver Lake's figures come from
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 658 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Silver Lake. The exposure-zones guide covers what Silver Lake's dominant minimal exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.