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South Dakota wildfire risk

66 counties scored 0 rated Very High

Pennington County has the highest wildfire risk in South Dakota, scoring 97.2 out of 100 — rated "Relatively Moderate" by FEMA's National Risk Index.

# County NRI score Rating NOAA events
2016–2026
1 Pennington County 97.2 Relatively Moderate 0
2 Oglala Lakota County 96.9 Relatively Moderate 0
3 Meade County 96 Relatively Moderate 0
4 Custer County 94.2 Relatively Moderate 0
5 Todd County 94.1 Relatively Moderate 0
6 Fall River County 93.8 Relatively Moderate 0
7 Lawrence County 93.2 Relatively Moderate 0
8 Bennett County 87.1 Relatively Low 0
9 Butte County 86.9 Relatively Low 0
10 Jackson County 85.5 Relatively Low 0
11 Hyde County 83.7 Relatively Low 0
12 Mellette County 83.2 Relatively Low 0
13 Dewey County 83 Relatively Low 0
14 Harding County 82.6 Relatively Low 0
15 Walworth County 80.7 Relatively Low 0
16 Tripp County 79.1 Relatively Low 0
17 Day County 77.9 Relatively Low 0
18 Union County 77.6 Relatively Low 0
19 Campbell County 77.5 Relatively Low 0
20 Hand County 77.5 Relatively Low 0
21 Corson County 77.3 Relatively Low 0
22 Brown County 77.1 Relatively Low 0
23 Hughes County 77 Relatively Low 0
24 Charles Mix County 76.9 Relatively Low 0
25 Marshall County 76.6 Relatively Low 0
26 Ziebach County 76.6 Relatively Low 0
27 Buffalo County 76.4 Relatively Low 0
28 Yankton County 75.6 Relatively Low 0
29 Beadle County 74.7 Relatively Low 0
30 Roberts County 74 Relatively Low 0
31 Brule County 73.6 Relatively Low 0
32 Jerauld County 72.7 Relatively Low 0
33 Minnehaha County 71.3 Relatively Low 0
34 Codington County 71 Relatively Low 0
35 Jones County 70.7 Relatively Low 0
36 Sully County 70.6 Relatively Low 0
37 McPherson County 70.4 Relatively Low 0
38 Gregory County 70 Relatively Low 0
39 Deuel County 69.9 Relatively Low 0
40 Lyman County 69.5 Relatively Low 0
41 Edmunds County 69.2 Relatively Low 0
42 Hutchinson County 69 Relatively Low 0
43 Perkins County 68.8 Relatively Low 0
44 Haakon County 68.5 Relatively Low 0
45 Davison County 68.4 Relatively Low 0
46 Faulk County 67.5 Relatively Low 0
47 Sanborn County 67 Relatively Low 0
48 Spink County 66.5 Relatively Low 0
49 Aurora County 65.4 Relatively Low 0
50 Lincoln County 65.1 Relatively Low 0
51 Brookings County 64.2 Relatively Low 0
52 McCook County 62.3 Very Low 0
53 Stanley County 60.5 Very Low 0
54 Potter County 56.6 Very Low 0
55 Hanson County 54.8 Very Low 0
56 Kingsbury County 54.7 Very Low 0
57 Grant County 54.6 Very Low 0
58 Moody County 54 Very Low 0
59 Lake County 53.9 Very Low 0
60 Douglas County 53.8 Very Low 0
61 Bon Homme County 53.5 Very Low 0
62 Clark County 51.3 Very Low 0
63 Hamlin County 47.4 Very Low 0
64 Turner County 46 Very Low 0
65 Clay County 41.7 Very Low 0
66 Miner County 40.3 Very Low 0

Source: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20.0, December 2025. Scores are 0–100 percentile rankings among all US counties. See the methodology page for definitions. Download the full CSV for all counties.

Wildfire risk nationally:

Top 50 US counties

Other hazard risks in South Dakota:

Inland FloodingCoastal FloodingEarthquakeHeat WaveTornadoHurricaneHailStrong WindWinter WeatherIce StormCold WaveLightningDroughtLandslideAvalancheTsunamiVolcanic Activity

Frequently asked questions

What is the highest wildfire risk county in South Dakota?

Pennington County, SD has the highest wildfire risk in South Dakota, with a FEMA National Risk Index score of 97.2 out of 100 (rated "Relatively Moderate").

What causes wildfire risk in South Dakota?

Wildfire risk reflects expected annual losses to buildings, population, and agriculture from wildfire, adjusted for social vulnerability and community resilience. High scores cluster in the western US, where dry climate, fuel loads, and seasonal wind patterns combine with rapid suburban development into fire-prone terrain.