Stephan, SD
Stephan wildfire risk explained
Stephan sits at the 79th percentile nationally for wildfire risk to structures — well above the national norm for wildfire risk — per USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities model, built from its 56 counted buildings, not vegetation cover alone. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, Stephan's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 74th percentile nationally.
Where Stephan's buildings actually sit
56 buildings are counted in Stephan, and 57.1% of them sit in USFS's Direct exposure zone — flame contact, not just ember cast, is the live possibility for most of them, against 0% rated Minimal.
Stephan against the rest of the country
Stephan's risk sits at a similar level relative to South Dakota (78th percentile statewide) as it does nationally (79th) — this place isn't unusual for its own state either way. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Stephan ranks 6,755 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 30,775 by building count (1 is largest). Within South Dakota alone, it ranks 99 of 439 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for South Dakota on its state page.
Stephan and the insurance market
At the 79th percentile nationally, Stephan carries the high rating that has pushed some carriers to limit new business in similarly-scored places elsewhere in the country. Worth comparing quotes rather than assuming last year's renewal terms still apply.
Hardening a home in Stephan
Stephan's 57.1% Direct-exposure share means lot clearing around the structure typically outweighs any single material upgrade here. The home-hardening guide ranks the options for a place shaped like this.
More on how this number was built
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 56 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Stephan. For more on what direct exposure implies beyond Stephan, see the exposure-zones guide.