La Bajada, NM
La Bajada wildfire risk explained
USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities model puts La Bajada at the 66th national percentile for risk to structures, well above the national norm for wildfire risk — a score built from 37 actual buildings. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Fire likelihood alone (USFS's burn-probability figure) ranks La Bajada at the 63rd national percentile — 3 points below its risk-to-structures score, a gap driven by how much is actually built there.
La Bajada's building exposure, zone by zone
100% of La Bajada's 37 buildings sit in USFS's Direct exposure zone, roughly 37 structures close enough to burnable vegetation for flame contact, not just embers — 0% fall in the Indirect, ember-only zone and 0% are Minimal.
La Bajada against the rest of the country
La Bajada ranks lower within New Mexico (37th percentile statewide) than its 66th national percentile suggests alone — a calmer spot in a state where wildfire risk generally runs high. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, La Bajada ranks 10,779 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 31,241 by building count (1 is largest). Within New Mexico alone, it ranks 313 of 495 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for New Mexico on its state page.
What this risk score means for insurance
At the 66th percentile nationally, La Bajada carries the high rating that has pushed some carriers to limit new business in similarly-scored places elsewhere in the country. Worth comparing quotes rather than assuming last year's renewal terms still apply.
Lowering exposure, not just insuring around it
Because Direct exposure dominates in La Bajada (100%), 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
La Bajada's 66th-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 La Bajada, see the exposure-zones guide.