Wellman, IA
Wellman wildfire risk explained
USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities model puts Wellman at the 53rd national percentile for risk to structures, modestly above the national average for wildfire risk — a score built from 764 actual buildings. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Fire likelihood alone (USFS's burn-probability figure) ranks Wellman at the 55th national percentile — 2 points above its risk-to-structures score, a gap driven by how much is actually built there.
Where Wellman's buildings actually sit
Most of Wellman's buildings (85.1% of 764) fall outside USFS's Direct and Indirect zones entirely — that doesn't zero out the score above, it means the risk is regional, not structure-by-structure.
Where Wellman ranks
Compare Wellman's two percentiles: 73rd within Iowa, only 53rd nationally — a gap of 20 points that marks it as unusually exposed for its own state. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Wellman ranks 14,803 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 13,973 by building count (1 is largest). Within Iowa alone, it ranks 278 of 1,017 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Iowa on its state page.
Shopping for coverage in Wellman
Wellman's elevated rating (53rd 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 85.1% of Wellman 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 Wellman's figures come from
Wellman's 53rd-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 Wellman's dominant minimal exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.