Chama, NM
Chama, NM's wildfire risk, in USFS's own numbers
Chama's 972 buildings earn a 87th-percentile wildfire-risk score nationally under USFS's model — in USFS's highest wildfire-risk band nationally. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Fire likelihood alone (USFS's burn-probability figure) ranks Chama at the 84th 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
52.8% of Chama's 972 buildings fall in USFS's Indirect exposure zone — ember cast rather than direct flame — against 47.2% Direct and 0% Minimal. Vent screens and roofing material matter more here than lot clearing alone.
Where Chama ranks
Chama ranks lower within New Mexico (69th percentile statewide) than its 87th national percentile suggests alone — a calmer spot in a state where wildfire risk generally runs high. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Chama ranks 3,971 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 12,134 by building count (1 is largest). Within New Mexico alone, it ranks 154 of 495 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for New Mexico on its state page.
Shopping for coverage in Chama
Chama's very high rating (87th percentile) puts it among the places where the national carrier-pullback trend is most relevant — not a guarantee of a coverage problem, but a reason to shop rather than assume.
Lowering exposure, not just insuring around it
With ember exposure the dominant pattern in Chama (52.8% Indirect), vent screens and roofing material tend to matter more than lot clearing alone. The home-hardening guide covers both.
More on how this number was built
Chama's 87th-percentile score and its burn-probability figure both come from the same USFS workbook, documented in the methodology guide. For more on what indirect exposure implies beyond Chama, see the exposure-zones guide.