West Union, MN
West Union, MN's wildfire risk, in USFS's own numbers
USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities model puts West Union at the 34th national percentile for risk to structures, close to the middle of USFS's national wildfire-risk range — a score built from 63 actual buildings. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
USFS's separate burn-probability score — fire likelihood alone, before counting what's built there — puts West Union at the 29th percentile, close to its 34th-percentile risk score.
West Union's building exposure, zone by zone
USFS classifies 54% of West Union's buildings as Direct exposure, higher than its 0% Indirect share and far above its 46% Minimal share — a profile where 34 structures sit close enough to vegetation that lot clearing matters most.
West Union against the rest of the country
West Union scores 34th nationally and 43rd within Minnesota — close enough that its state context doesn't change the picture the national number already gives. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, West Union ranks 20,763 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 30,546 by building count (1 is largest). Within Minnesota alone, it ranks 523 of 914 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Minnesota on its state page.
West Union and the insurance market
At the 34th national percentile, West Union rates moderate for wildfire risk — well short of the threshold where insurers have been withdrawing coverage, though comparing a quote costs nothing either way.
What would actually reduce this score
Because Direct exposure dominates in West Union (54%), the highest-leverage fix is defensible space, not roofing or vents alone — covered in the home-hardening guide.
More on how this number was built
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 63 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for West Union. For more on what direct exposure implies beyond West Union, see the exposure-zones guide.