Malaga, NM
Malaga, NM's wildfire risk, in USFS's own numbers
USFS scores Malaga at the 74th national percentile for wildfire risk to structures (well above the national norm for wildfire risk), a figure built from 165 real buildings rather than raw vegetation cover. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, Malaga's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 74th percentile nationally.
Where Malaga's buildings actually sit
77.6% of Malaga's 165 buildings sit in USFS's Direct exposure zone, roughly 128 structures close enough to burnable vegetation for flame contact, not just embers — 22.4% fall in the Indirect, ember-only zone and 0% are Minimal.
How Malaga compares
Malaga's 74th national percentile looks worse in isolation than its 45th ranking inside New Mexico does — this place is on the milder end for its own state, by 29 points. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Malaga ranks 8,130 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 26,227 by building count (1 is largest). Within New Mexico alone, it ranks 270 of 495 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for New Mexico on its state page.
Shopping for coverage in Malaga
Malaga's high rating (74th 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 Malaga (77.6%), the highest-leverage fix is defensible space, not roofing or vents alone — covered in the home-hardening guide.
Where Malaga's figures come from
Malaga's 74th-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 Malaga's dominant direct exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.