Lake Montezuma, AZ
Lake Montezuma, AZ's wildfire risk, in USFS's own numbers
Out of every US place USFS scores, Lake Montezuma lands at the 81st percentile for wildfire risk to structures — in USFS's highest wildfire-risk band nationally — a figure built from its 2,885 buildings, not the land around them. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Fire likelihood alone (USFS's burn-probability figure) ranks Lake Montezuma at the 84th national percentile — 3 points above its risk-to-structures score, a gap driven by how much is actually built there.
Where Lake Montezuma's buildings actually sit
USFS classifies 61.3% of Lake Montezuma's buildings as Direct exposure, higher than its 38.8% Indirect share and far above its 0% Minimal share — a profile where 1,767 structures sit close enough to vegetation that lot clearing matters most.
Lake Montezuma against the rest of the country
Lake Montezuma's 81st national percentile looks worse in isolation than its 45th ranking inside Arizona does — this place is on the milder end for its own state, by 36 points. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Lake Montezuma ranks 6,101 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 5,608 by building count (1 is largest). Within Arizona alone, it ranks 243 of 441 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Arizona on its state page.
Shopping for coverage in Lake Montezuma
At the 81st percentile nationally, Lake Montezuma carries the very 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.
Hardening a home in Lake Montezuma
Because Direct exposure dominates in Lake Montezuma (61.3%), the highest-leverage fix is defensible space, not roofing or vents alone — covered in the home-hardening guide.
Where Lake Montezuma's figures come from
Every one of the two percentiles behind Lake Montezuma's 6,101-place national rank traces to USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities dataset — see the methodology guide. The exposure-zones guide covers what Lake Montezuma's dominant direct exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.