Stratford, SD
Stratford, SD's wildfire risk, in USFS's own numbers
Stratford sits at the 73rd 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 103 counted buildings, not vegetation cover alone. (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 69th percentile nationally.
What "at risk" means for the buildings here
72.8% of Stratford's 103 buildings sit in USFS's Direct exposure zone, roughly 75 structures close enough to burnable vegetation for flame contact, not just embers — 0% fall in the Indirect, ember-only zone and 27.2% are Minimal.
How Stratford compares
Stratford's risk sits at a similar level relative to South Dakota (71st percentile statewide) as it does nationally (73rd) — this place isn't unusual for its own state either way. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Stratford ranks 8,647 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 28,922 by building count (1 is largest). Within South Dakota alone, it ranks 131 of 439 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for South Dakota on its state page.
Stratford and the insurance market
Stratford's high rating (73rd percentile) puts it among the places where the national carrier-pullback trend is most relevant — not a guarantee of a coverage problem, but a reason to shop rather than assume.
Lowering exposure, not just insuring around it
With 72.8% of Stratford in Direct exposure, defensible-space clearing and ember-resistant construction (vents, Class-A roofing) address the exposure this page's own numbers describe, not a generic checklist. See the home-hardening guide.
More on how this number was built
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 103 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Stratford. For more on what direct exposure implies beyond Stratford, see the exposure-zones guide.