Veblen, SD
Veblen, SD's wildfire risk, in USFS's own numbers
USFS scores Veblen at the 46th national percentile for wildfire risk to structures (modestly above the national average for wildfire risk), a figure built from 218 real buildings rather than raw vegetation cover. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, Veblen's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 45th percentile nationally.
Veblen's building exposure, zone by zone
69.3% of Veblen's 218 buildings sit in USFS's Minimal exposure zone, with only 30.7% rated Direct — risk here comes from regional burn probability more than proximity to burnable vegetation at the structure itself.
Where Veblen ranks
Veblen's 46th national percentile looks worse in isolation than its 22nd ranking inside South Dakota does — this place is on the milder end for its own state, by 24 points. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Veblen ranks 17,065 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 24,221 by building count (1 is largest). Within South Dakota alone, it ranks 341 of 439 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for South Dakota on its state page.
Shopping for coverage in Veblen
Veblen's elevated rating (46th percentile nationally) sits outside the range where wildfire risk alone reshapes an insurance market — still, a homeowner here loses nothing by comparing rates.
What would actually reduce this score
Even with 69.3% of Veblen 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.
Where Veblen's figures come from
Veblen's 46th-percentile score and its burn-probability figure both come from the same USFS workbook, documented in the methodology guide. The exposure-zones guide covers what Veblen's dominant minimal exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.