Wendell, MN
Wendell wildfire risk explained
Wendell sits at the 44th 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 155 counted buildings, not vegetation cover alone. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, Wendell's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 36th percentile nationally.
What "at risk" means for the buildings here
USFS classifies 65.8% of Wendell's buildings as Minimal exposure, the largest of the three zones here by a wide margin over 34.2% Direct and 0% Indirect — a landscape-level risk rather than a building-by-building one.
Where Wendell ranks
Within Minnesota, Wendell ranks higher (63rd percentile) than it does nationally (44th) — one of the more fire-exposed places in a state that, overall, scores lower than that. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Wendell ranks 17,647 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 26,655 by building count (1 is largest). Within Minnesota alone, it ranks 340 of 914 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Minnesota on its state page.
Shopping for coverage in Wendell
Wendell's elevated rating (44th 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 Wendell
With 65.8% of buildings rated Minimal exposure, Wendell gets less benefit from structure hardening than a Direct- or Indirect-dominant place would — the home-hardening guide explains why the zone matters.
Where Wendell's figures come from
Wendell's 44th-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 Wendell's dominant minimal exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.