Vermillion, SD
Vermillion wildfire risk explained
USFS scores Vermillion at the 48th national percentile for wildfire risk to structures (modestly above the national average for wildfire risk), a figure built from 3,593 real buildings rather than raw vegetation cover. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
USFS's separate burn-probability score — fire likelihood alone, before counting what's built there — puts Vermillion at the 47th percentile, close to its 48th-percentile risk score.
Vermillion's building exposure, zone by zone
79.5% of Vermillion's 3,593 buildings sit in USFS's Minimal exposure zone, with only 20.5% rated Direct — risk here comes from regional burn probability more than proximity to burnable vegetation at the structure itself.
Where Vermillion ranks
Vermillion ranks lower within South Dakota (25th percentile statewide) than its 48th national percentile suggests alone — a calmer spot in a state where wildfire risk generally runs high. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Vermillion ranks 16,466 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 4,658 by building count (1 is largest). Within South Dakota alone, it ranks 329 of 439 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for South Dakota on its state page.
Shopping for coverage in Vermillion
Vermillion's elevated rating (48th 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 79.5% of Vermillion 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 Vermillion's figures come from
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 3,593 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Vermillion. The exposure-zones guide covers what Vermillion's dominant minimal exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.