Los Alamos, NM
How exposed is Los Alamos to wildfire?
Los Alamos's 4,669 buildings earn a 90th-percentile wildfire-risk score nationally under USFS's model — in USFS's highest wildfire-risk band nationally. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, Los Alamos's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 86th percentile nationally.
Los Alamos's building exposure, zone by zone
Indirect exposure is dominant in Los Alamos (60.4% of 4,669 buildings): far enough from burnable vegetation to avoid flame contact, close enough for wind-blown embers. Only 39.6% sit in the Direct zone.
Where Los Alamos ranks
Los Alamos ranks lower within New Mexico (74th percentile statewide) than its 90th national percentile suggests alone — a calmer spot in a state where wildfire risk generally runs high. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Los Alamos ranks 3,283 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 3,642 by building count (1 is largest). Within New Mexico alone, it ranks 132 of 495 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for New Mexico on its state page.
Shopping for coverage in Los Alamos
Los Alamos's very high rating (90th 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.
Hardening a home in Los Alamos
With ember exposure the dominant pattern in Los Alamos (60.4% Indirect), vent screens and roofing material tend to matter more than lot clearing alone. The home-hardening guide covers both.
Where Los Alamos's figures come from
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 4,669 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Los Alamos. The exposure-zones guide covers what Los Alamos's dominant indirect exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.