Wheatland, MT
How exposed is Wheatland to wildfire?
Out of every US place USFS scores, Wheatland lands at the 75th percentile for wildfire risk to structures — well above the national norm for wildfire risk — a figure built from its 521 buildings, not the land around them. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, Wheatland's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 70th percentile nationally.
What "at risk" means for the buildings here
Direct exposure dominates in Wheatland: 93.5% of its 521 buildings, versus 6.5% Indirect and 0% Minimal. Clearing space around a structure changes the outcome here more than any single building-material swap.
How Wheatland compares
Wheatland ranks lower within Montana (45th percentile statewide) than its 75th national percentile suggests alone — a calmer spot in a state where wildfire risk generally runs high. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Wheatland ranks 7,980 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 17,010 by building count (1 is largest). Within Montana alone, it ranks 262 of 475 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Montana on its state page.
What this risk score means for insurance
Wheatland's high rating (75th percentile) puts it among the places where the national carrier-pullback trend is most relevant — not a guarantee of a coverage problem, but a reason to shop rather than assume.
Hardening a home in Wheatland
With 93.5% of Wheatland in Direct exposure, defensible-space clearing and ember-resistant construction (vents, Class-A roofing) address the exposure this page's own numbers describe, not a generic checklist. See the home-hardening guide.
Where Wheatland's figures come from
Wheatland's 75th-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 Wheatland's dominant direct exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.