Watson, MN
Watson, MN's wildfire risk, in USFS's own numbers
Out of every US place USFS scores, Watson lands at the 57th percentile for wildfire risk to structures — modestly above the national average for wildfire risk — a figure built from its 148 buildings, not the land around them. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, Watson's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 53rd percentile nationally.
What "at risk" means for the buildings here
64.9% of Watson's 148 buildings fall in USFS's Indirect exposure zone — ember cast rather than direct flame — against 18.9% Direct and 16.2% Minimal. Vent screens and roofing material matter more here than lot clearing alone.
Watson against the rest of the country
Within Minnesota, Watson ranks higher (83rd percentile) than it does nationally (57th) — one of the more fire-exposed places in a state that, overall, scores lower than that. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Watson ranks 13,586 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 26,955 by building count (1 is largest). Within Minnesota alone, it ranks 156 of 914 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Minnesota on its state page.
Watson and the insurance market
Watson's elevated rating (57th 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 Watson
Watson's 64.9% Indirect-exposure share points at embers, not flame contact, as the main pathway — ember-resistant vents and non-combustible roofing rank ahead of defensible space here. Detail in the home-hardening guide.
More on how this number was built
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 148 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Watson. For more on what indirect exposure implies beyond Watson, see the exposure-zones guide.