Utica, MT
How exposed is Utica to wildfire?
Utica sits at the 56th 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 53 counted buildings, not vegetation cover alone. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
USFS's separate burn-probability score — fire likelihood alone, before counting what's built there — puts Utica at the 55th percentile, close to its 56th-percentile risk score.
What "at risk" means for the buildings here
USFS classifies 100% of Utica's buildings as Direct exposure, higher than its 0% Indirect share and far above its 0% Minimal share — a profile where 53 structures sit close enough to vegetation that lot clearing matters most.
Where Utica ranks
Utica ranks lower within Montana (20th percentile statewide) than its 56th national percentile suggests alone — a calmer spot in a state where wildfire risk generally runs high. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Utica ranks 13,842 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 30,851 by building count (1 is largest). Within Montana alone, it ranks 382 of 475 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Montana on its state page.
Utica and the insurance market
Utica's elevated rating (56th percentile nationally) sits outside the range where wildfire risk alone reshapes an insurance market — still, a homeowner here loses nothing by comparing rates.
Hardening a home in Utica
With 100% of Utica 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
Utica's 56th-percentile score and its burn-probability figure both come from the same USFS workbook, documented in the methodology guide. For more on what direct exposure implies beyond Utica, see the exposure-zones guide.