Swan Lake, MT
How exposed is Swan Lake to wildfire?
Out of every US place USFS scores, Swan Lake lands at the 97th percentile for wildfire risk to structures — in USFS's highest wildfire-risk band nationally — a figure built from its 259 buildings, not the land around them. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, Swan Lake's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 97th percentile nationally.
Where Swan Lake's buildings actually sit
Direct exposure dominates in Swan Lake: 95% of its 259 buildings, versus 0% Indirect and 5% Minimal. Clearing space around a structure changes the outcome here more than any single building-material swap.
Where Swan Lake ranks
There's little gap between Swan Lake's 97th national percentile and its 96th percentile inside Montana, which means the state comparison mostly confirms what the national score already shows. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Swan Lake ranks 817 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 22,858 by building count (1 is largest). Within Montana alone, it ranks 22 of 475 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Montana on its state page.
What this risk score means for insurance
At the 97th percentile nationally, Swan Lake carries the very 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.
What would actually reduce this score
Because Direct exposure dominates in Swan Lake (95%), the highest-leverage fix is defensible space, not roofing or vents alone — covered in the home-hardening guide.
Where Swan Lake's figures come from
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 259 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Swan Lake. The exposure-zones guide covers what Swan Lake's dominant direct exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.