Mexican Hat, UT
How exposed is Mexican Hat to wildfire?
Mexican Hat's 51 buildings earn a 50th-percentile wildfire-risk score nationally under USFS's model — modestly above the national average for wildfire risk. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
USFS's separate burn-probability score — fire likelihood alone, before counting what's built there — puts Mexican Hat at the 45th percentile, close to its 50th-percentile risk score.
What "at risk" means for the buildings here
USFS classifies 100% of Mexican Hat's buildings as Direct exposure, higher than its 0% Indirect share and far above its 0% Minimal share — a profile where 51 structures sit close enough to vegetation that lot clearing matters most.
Where Mexican Hat ranks
Mexican Hat ranks lower within Utah (10th percentile statewide) than its 50th national percentile suggests alone — a calmer spot in a state where wildfire risk generally runs high. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Mexican Hat ranks 15,744 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 30,919 by building count (1 is largest). Within Utah alone, it ranks 294 of 326 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Utah on its state page.
Mexican Hat and the insurance market
Mexican Hat's elevated wildfire rating (50th percentile) isn't the kind of score driving the carrier pullback making news in the highest-risk Western markets — but a standard homeowners quote is still worth comparing on its own terms.
What would actually reduce this score
Because Direct exposure dominates in Mexican Hat (100%), the highest-leverage fix is defensible space, not roofing or vents alone — covered in the home-hardening guide.
Where Mexican Hat's figures come from
Mexican Hat's 50th-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 Mexican Hat's dominant direct exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.