Mesquite, NM
How exposed is Mesquite to wildfire?
USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities model puts Mesquite at the 38th national percentile for risk to structures, close to the middle of USFS's national wildfire-risk range — a score built from 409 actual buildings. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
USFS's separate burn-probability score — fire likelihood alone, before counting what's built there — puts Mesquite at the 38th percentile, close to its 38th-percentile risk score.
Where Mesquite's buildings actually sit
53.1% of Mesquite's 409 buildings sit in USFS's Direct exposure zone, roughly 217 structures close enough to burnable vegetation for flame contact, not just embers — 1.7% fall in the Indirect, ember-only zone and 45.2% are Minimal.
Where Mesquite ranks
Mesquite ranks lower within New Mexico (7th percentile statewide) than its 38th national percentile suggests alone — a calmer spot in a state where wildfire risk generally runs high. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Mesquite ranks 19,481 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 19,055 by building count (1 is largest). Within New Mexico alone, it ranks 460 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 38th national percentile, Mesquite rates moderate for wildfire risk — well short of the threshold where insurers have been withdrawing coverage, though comparing a quote costs nothing either way.
Lowering exposure, not just insuring around it
With 53.1% of Mesquite in Direct exposure, defensible-space clearing and ember-resistant construction (vents, Class-A roofing) address the exposure this page's own numbers describe, not a generic checklist. See the home-hardening guide.
Where Mesquite's figures come from
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 409 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Mesquite. The exposure-zones guide covers what Mesquite's dominant direct exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.