Las Palomas, NM
Las Palomas wildfire risk explained
Out of every US place USFS scores, Las Palomas lands at the 61st percentile for wildfire risk to structures — well above the national norm for wildfire risk — a figure built from its 230 buildings, not the land around them. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Fire likelihood alone (USFS's burn-probability figure) ranks Las Palomas at the 59th national percentile — 2 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
62.6% of Las Palomas's 230 buildings sit in USFS's Direct exposure zone, roughly 144 structures close enough to burnable vegetation for flame contact, not just embers — 37.4% fall in the Indirect, ember-only zone and 0% are Minimal.
Las Palomas against the rest of the country
Las Palomas's 61st national percentile looks worse in isolation than its 31st ranking inside New Mexico does — this place is on the milder end for its own state, by 30 points. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Las Palomas ranks 12,298 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 23,800 by building count (1 is largest). Within New Mexico alone, it ranks 340 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
Las Palomas's high rating (61st 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 Las Palomas (62.6%), the highest-leverage fix is defensible space, not roofing or vents alone — covered in the home-hardening guide.
Where Las Palomas's figures come from
Las Palomas's 61st-percentile score and its burn-probability figure both come from the same USFS workbook, documented in the methodology guide. The exposure-zones guide covers what Las Palomas's dominant direct exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.