Stratford, IA
How exposed is Stratford to wildfire?
Stratford's 515 buildings earn a 23rd-percentile wildfire-risk score nationally under USFS's model — close to the middle of USFS's national wildfire-risk range. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, Stratford's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 22nd percentile nationally.
What "at risk" means for the buildings here
70.5% of Stratford's 515 buildings fall in USFS's Indirect exposure zone — ember cast rather than direct flame — against 28.9% Direct and 0.6% Minimal. Vent screens and roofing material matter more here than lot clearing alone.
How Stratford compares
Stratford scores 23rd nationally and 36th within Iowa — close enough that its state context doesn't change the picture the national number already gives. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Stratford ranks 24,290 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 17,100 by building count (1 is largest). Within Iowa alone, it ranks 650 of 1,017 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Iowa on its state page.
Shopping for coverage in Stratford
At the 23rd national percentile, Stratford rates moderate 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
Stratford's 70.5% Indirect-exposure share points at embers, not flame contact, as the main pathway — ember-resistant vents and non-combustible roofing rank ahead of defensible space here. Detail in the home-hardening guide.
Where Stratford's figures come from
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 515 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Stratford. The exposure-zones guide covers what Stratford's dominant indirect exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.