Wheaton, MO
How exposed is Wheaton to wildfire?
USFS scores Wheaton at the 72nd national percentile for wildfire risk to structures (well above the national norm for wildfire risk), a figure built from 399 real buildings rather than raw vegetation cover. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, Wheaton's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 73rd percentile nationally.
Where Wheaton's buildings actually sit
USFS puts 57.4% of Wheaton's 399 buildings in the Indirect exposure zone, versus 42.6% Direct and 0% Minimal — a place where the fire doesn't need to reach the structure directly for embers to.
How Wheaton compares
Wheaton scores 72nd nationally and 85th within Missouri — close enough that its state context doesn't change the picture the national number already gives. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Wheaton ranks 8,889 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 19,232 by building count (1 is largest). Within Missouri alone, it ranks 158 of 1,062 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Missouri on its state page.
Wheaton and the insurance market
At the 72nd percentile nationally, Wheaton carries the high rating that has pushed some carriers to limit new business in similarly-scored places elsewhere in the country. Worth comparing quotes rather than assuming last year's renewal terms still apply.
Lowering exposure, not just insuring around it
With ember exposure the dominant pattern in Wheaton (57.4% Indirect), vent screens and roofing material tend to matter more than lot clearing alone. The home-hardening guide covers both.
More on how this number was built
Wheaton's 72nd-percentile score and its burn-probability figure both come from the same USFS workbook, documented in the methodology guide. For more on what indirect exposure implies beyond Wheaton, see the exposure-zones guide.