Wildfire Risk in South Dakota
All South Dakota counties ranked by FEMA National Risk Index wildfire score
Wildfire risk — uncontrolled fires that spread across wildland and into communities — is rated for 66 of 66 South Dakota counties in FEMA's National Risk Index. Pennington County carries the state's highest wildfire score at 97.2, with $8M in expected annual wildfire losses.
No South Dakota county reaches the High band for wildfire, and expected annual losses from wildfire total roughly $42M statewide. The full ranking below links to each county's complete 18-hazard risk profile.
County Rankings — Wildfire
| # | County | Wildfire Score | Rating | Ann. Freq. | Ann. Loss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pennington County | Medium | 0.00 / yr | $8M | |
| 2 | Oglala Lakota County | Medium | 0.01 / yr | $4M | |
| 3 | Meade County | Medium | 0.00 / yr | $7M | |
| 4 | Custer County | Medium | 0.01 / yr | $4M | |
| 5 | Todd County | Medium | 0.00 / yr | $2M | |
| 6 | Fall River County | Medium | 0.01 / yr | $2M | |
| 7 | Lawrence County | Medium | 0.00 / yr | $2M | |
| 8 | Bennett County | Low | 0.00 / yr | $514K | |
| 9 | Butte County | Low | 0.00 / yr | $865K | |
| 10 | Jackson County | Low | 0.00 / yr | $385K | |
| 11 | Hyde County | Low | 0.00 / yr | $471K | |
| 12 | Mellette County | Low | 0.00 / yr | $348K | |
| 13 | Dewey County | Low | 0.00 / yr | $318K | |
| 14 | Harding County | Low | 0.00 / yr | $760K | |
| 15 | Walworth County | Low | 0.00 / yr | $361K | |
| 16 | Tripp County | Low | 0.00 / yr | $267K | |
| 17 | Day County | Low | 0.00 / yr | $259K | |
| 18 | Union County | Low | 0.00 / yr | $447K | |
| 19 | Hand County | Low | 0.00 / yr | $398K | |
| 20 | Campbell County | Low | 0.00 / yr | $473K | |
| 21 | Corson County | Low | 0.00 / yr | $188K | |
| 22 | Brown County | Low | 0.00 / yr | $353K | |
| 23 | Hughes County | Low | 0.00 / yr | $485K | |
| 24 | Charles Mix County | Low | 0.00 / yr | $262K | |
| 25 | Ziebach County | Low | 0.00 / yr | $160K | |
| 26 | Marshall County | Low | 0.00 / yr | $309K | |
| 27 | Buffalo County | Low | 0.00 / yr | $221K | |
| 28 | Yankton County | Low | 0.00 / yr | $230K | |
| 29 | Beadle County | Low | 0.00 / yr | $283K | |
| 30 | Roberts County | Low | 0.00 / yr | $174K | |
| 31 | Brule County | Low | 0.00 / yr | $216K | |
| 32 | Jerauld County | Low | 0.00 / yr | $198K | |
| 33 | Minnehaha County | Low | 0.00 / yr | $243K | |
| 34 | Codington County | Low | 0.00 / yr | $205K | |
| 35 | Jones County | Low | 0.00 / yr | $247K | |
| 36 | Sully County | Low | 0.00 / yr | $270K | |
| 37 | McPherson County | Low | 0.00 / yr | $127K | |
| 38 | Gregory County | Low | 0.00 / yr | $208K | |
| 39 | Deuel County | Low | 0.00 / yr | $256K | |
| 40 | Lyman County | Low | 0.00 / yr | $115K | |
| 41 | Edmunds County | Low | 0.00 / yr | $236K | |
| 42 | Hutchinson County | Low | 0.00 / yr | $201K | |
| 43 | Perkins County | Low | 0.00 / yr | $216K | |
| 44 | Haakon County | Low | 0.00 / yr | $145K | |
| 45 | Davison County | Low | 0.00 / yr | $169K | |
| 46 | Faulk County | Low | 0.00 / yr | $96K | |
| 47 | Sanborn County | Low | 0.00 / yr | $204K | |
| 48 | Spink County | Low | 0.00 / yr | $192K | |
| 49 | Aurora County | Low | 0.00 / yr | $139K | |
| 50 | Lincoln County | Low | 0.00 / yr | $219K | |
| 51 | Brookings County | Low | 0.00 / yr | $168K | |
| 52 | McCook County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $154K | |
| 53 | Stanley County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $120K | |
| 54 | Potter County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $77K | |
| 55 | Hanson County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $44K | |
| 56 | Kingsbury County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $100K | |
| 57 | Grant County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $94K | |
| 58 | Moody County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $59K | |
| 59 | Lake County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $65K | |
| 60 | Douglas County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $71K | |
| 61 | Bon Homme County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $83K | |
| 62 | Clark County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $74K | |
| 63 | Hamlin County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $60K | |
| 64 | Turner County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $48K | |
| 65 | Clay County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $46K | |
| 66 | Miner County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $48K |
66 South Dakota counties with measurable wildfire risk. See the national wildfire ranking or all South Dakota counties by overall risk.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which South Dakota county has the highest wildfire risk?
Pennington County has the highest FEMA wildfire risk score in South Dakota at 97.2 (Medium), with $8M in expected annual losses and about 0.00 events per year.
How many South Dakota counties face significant wildfire risk?
66 South Dakota counties record measurable wildfire risk in FEMA's National Risk Index; 0 of them are rated High or Very High.