El Cerro, NM
El Cerro wildfire risk explained
El Cerro's 1,963 buildings earn a 63rd-percentile wildfire-risk score nationally under USFS's model — well above the national norm for wildfire risk. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, El Cerro's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 62nd percentile nationally.
Where El Cerro's buildings actually sit
Direct exposure dominates in El Cerro: 92.6% of its 1,963 buildings, versus 6.6% Indirect and 0.9% Minimal. Clearing space around a structure changes the outcome here more than any single building-material swap.
How El Cerro compares
El Cerro ranks lower within New Mexico (35th percentile statewide) than its 63rd national percentile suggests alone — a calmer spot in a state where wildfire risk generally runs high. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, El Cerro ranks 11,543 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 7,582 by building count (1 is largest). Within New Mexico alone, it ranks 324 of 495 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for New Mexico on its state page.
Shopping for coverage in El Cerro
El Cerro's high rating (63rd 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.
What would actually reduce this score
Because Direct exposure dominates in El Cerro (92.6%), the highest-leverage fix is defensible space, not roofing or vents alone — covered in the home-hardening guide.
Where El Cerro's figures come from
Every one of the two percentiles behind El Cerro's 11,543-place national rank traces to USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities dataset — see the methodology guide. The exposure-zones guide covers what El Cerro's dominant direct exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.