Zortman, MT
How exposed is Zortman to wildfire?
Zortman sits at the 91st percentile nationally for wildfire risk to structures — in USFS's highest wildfire-risk band nationally — per USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities model, built from its 118 counted buildings, not vegetation cover alone. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, Zortman's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 90th percentile nationally.
Where Zortman's buildings actually sit
USFS classifies 95.8% of Zortman's buildings as Direct exposure, higher than its 4.2% Indirect share and far above its 0% Minimal share — a profile where 113 structures sit close enough to vegetation that lot clearing matters most.
Zortman against the rest of the country
Zortman scores 91st nationally and 78th within Montana — close enough that its state context doesn't change the picture the national number already gives. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Zortman ranks 2,995 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 28,259 by building count (1 is largest). Within Montana alone, it ranks 106 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
Zortman's 91st-percentile, very high rating is the kind of score behind a broader national pattern: insurers pulling back from the highest wildfire-risk markets, non-renewing or declining new policies outright, most visibly in California. Shopping around, not assuming automatic renewal, tends to matter here.
Lowering exposure, not just insuring around it
With 95.8% of Zortman 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 Zortman's figures come from
Every one of the two percentiles behind Zortman's 2,995-place national rank traces to USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities dataset — see the methodology guide. The exposure-zones guide covers what Zortman's dominant direct exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.