Sylvan Grove, KS
Sylvan Grove wildfire risk explained
Sylvan Grove sits at the 49th percentile nationally for wildfire risk to structures — modestly above the national average for wildfire risk — per USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities model, built from its 324 counted buildings, not vegetation cover alone. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Fire likelihood alone (USFS's burn-probability figure) ranks Sylvan Grove at the 47th national percentile — 2 points below its risk-to-structures score, a gap driven by how much is actually built there.
What "at risk" means for the buildings here
85.2% of Sylvan Grove's 324 buildings sit in USFS's Minimal exposure zone, with only 14.8% rated Direct — risk here comes from regional burn probability more than proximity to burnable vegetation at the structure itself.
Where Sylvan Grove ranks
Sylvan Grove ranks lower within Kansas (29th percentile statewide) than its 49th national percentile suggests alone — a calmer spot in a state where wildfire risk generally runs high. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Sylvan Grove ranks 16,164 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 20,982 by building count (1 is largest). Within Kansas alone, it ranks 512 of 721 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Kansas on its state page.
What this risk score means for insurance
At the 49th national percentile, Sylvan Grove rates elevated for wildfire risk — well short of the threshold where insurers have been withdrawing coverage, though comparing a quote costs nothing either way.
What would actually reduce this score
Even with 85.2% of Sylvan Grove outside USFS's Direct and Indirect zones, basic hardening — gutter maintenance, ember-resistant vents — is inexpensive relative to the regional burn-probability risk noted above. Details in the home-hardening guide.
More on how this number was built
Sylvan Grove's 49th-percentile score and its burn-probability figure both come from the same USFS workbook, documented in the methodology guide. For more on what minimal exposure implies beyond Sylvan Grove, see the exposure-zones guide.