Fort Defiance, AZ
Fort Defiance, AZ's wildfire risk, in USFS's own numbers
Out of every US place USFS scores, Fort Defiance lands at the 72nd percentile for wildfire risk to structures — well above the national norm for wildfire risk — a figure built from its 1,715 buildings, not the land around them. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Fire likelihood alone (USFS's burn-probability figure) ranks Fort Defiance at the 63rd national percentile — 9 points below its risk-to-structures score, a gap driven by how much is actually built there.
Where Fort Defiance's buildings actually sit
USFS classifies 51.1% of Fort Defiance's buildings as Direct exposure, higher than its 48.9% Indirect share and far above its 0% Minimal share — a profile where 876 structures sit close enough to vegetation that lot clearing matters most.
Where Fort Defiance ranks
Fort Defiance ranks lower within Arizona (34th percentile statewide) than its 72nd national percentile suggests alone — a calmer spot in a state where wildfire risk generally runs high. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Fort Defiance ranks 8,688 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 8,366 by building count (1 is largest). Within Arizona alone, it ranks 292 of 441 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Arizona on its state page.
What this risk score means for insurance
Fort Defiance's high rating (72nd 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
Because Direct exposure dominates in Fort Defiance (51.1%), the highest-leverage fix is defensible space, not roofing or vents alone — covered in the home-hardening guide.
More on how this number was built
Fort Defiance's 72nd-percentile score and its burn-probability figure both come from the same USFS workbook, documented in the methodology guide. For more on what direct exposure implies beyond Fort Defiance, see the exposure-zones guide.