Sutton, ND
Sutton wildfire risk explained
USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities model puts Sutton at the 38th national percentile for risk to structures, close to the middle of USFS's national wildfire-risk range — a score built from 40 actual buildings. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Fire likelihood alone (USFS's burn-probability figure) ranks Sutton at the 37th national percentile — 1 points below its risk-to-structures score, a gap driven by how much is actually built there.
Where Sutton's buildings actually sit
Direct exposure dominates in Sutton: 75% of its 40 buildings, versus 0% Indirect and 25% Minimal. Clearing space around a structure changes the outcome here more than any single building-material swap.
How Sutton compares
Sutton ranks lower within North Dakota (21st percentile statewide) than its 38th national percentile suggests alone — a calmer spot in a state where wildfire risk generally runs high. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Sutton ranks 19,486 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 31,179 by building count (1 is largest). Within North Dakota alone, it ranks 317 of 402 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for North Dakota on its state page.
Sutton and the insurance market
Sutton's moderate rating (38th percentile nationally) sits outside the range where wildfire risk alone reshapes an insurance market — still, a homeowner here loses nothing by comparing rates.
Lowering exposure, not just insuring around it
Sutton's 75% 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.
Where Sutton's figures come from
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 40 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Sutton. The exposure-zones guide covers what Sutton's dominant direct exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.