Ajo, AZ
Ajo, AZ's wildfire risk, in USFS's own numbers
Out of every US place USFS scores, Ajo lands at the 49th percentile for wildfire risk to structures — modestly above the national average for wildfire risk — a figure built from its 2,791 buildings, not the land around them. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Fire likelihood alone (USFS's burn-probability figure) ranks Ajo at the 44th national percentile — 4 points below its risk-to-structures score, a gap driven by how much is actually built there.
What "at risk" means for the buildings here
Most of Ajo's buildings (91.8%) sit in the Indirect zone, where wind-blown embers rather than flame front are the mechanism USFS is scoring — ember-resistant vents and non-combustible roofing are the interventions this pattern favors, more than defensible space alone.
Where Ajo ranks
Ajo's 49th national percentile looks worse in isolation than its 17th ranking inside Arizona does — this place is on the milder end for its own state, by 32 points. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Ajo ranks 16,221 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 5,777 by building count (1 is largest). Within Arizona alone, it ranks 368 of 441 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Arizona on its state page.
Ajo and the insurance market
At the 49th national percentile, Ajo rates elevated for wildfire risk — well short of the threshold where insurers have been withdrawing coverage, though comparing a quote costs nothing either way.
Lowering exposure, not just insuring around it
With ember exposure the dominant pattern in Ajo (91.8% Indirect), vent screens and roofing material tend to matter more than lot clearing alone. The home-hardening guide covers both.
Where Ajo's figures come from
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 2,791 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Ajo. The exposure-zones guide covers what Ajo's dominant indirect exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.