Wheeler, WI
Wheeler wildfire risk explained
Wheeler sits at the 25th percentile nationally for wildfire risk to structures — close to the middle of USFS's national wildfire-risk range — per USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities model, built from its 185 counted buildings, not vegetation cover alone. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, Wheeler's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 25th percentile nationally.
What "at risk" means for the buildings here
53.5% of Wheeler's 185 buildings fall in USFS's Indirect exposure zone — ember cast rather than direct flame — against 46.5% Direct and 0% Minimal. Vent screens and roofing material matter more here than lot clearing alone.
Where Wheeler ranks
Wheeler's 47th-percentile standing inside Wisconsin outpaces its 25th national percentile — this is a hotter spot than most of its own state, even though the state as a whole runs cooler nationally. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Wheeler ranks 23,782 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 25,442 by building count (1 is largest). Within Wisconsin alone, it ranks 427 of 808 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Wisconsin on its state page.
What this risk score means for insurance
At the 25th national percentile, Wheeler rates moderate for wildfire risk — well short of the threshold where insurers have been withdrawing coverage, though comparing a quote costs nothing either way.
Hardening a home in Wheeler
Because 53.5% of Wheeler's buildings sit in the Indirect zone, sealing the ember pathway (vents, roofing, gutters) is the intervention this page's data actually supports — see the home-hardening guide.
Where Wheeler's figures come from
Every one of the two percentiles behind Wheeler's 23,782-place national rank traces to USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities dataset — see the methodology guide. The exposure-zones guide covers what Wheeler's dominant indirect exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.