Pajarito Mesa, NM
How exposed is Pajarito Mesa to wildfire?
Out of every US place USFS scores, Pajarito Mesa lands at the 63rd percentile for wildfire risk to structures — well above the national norm for wildfire risk — a figure built from its 432 buildings, not the land around them. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, Pajarito Mesa's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 62nd percentile nationally.
Where Pajarito Mesa's buildings actually sit
Direct exposure dominates in Pajarito Mesa: 99.5% of its 432 buildings, versus 0.5% Indirect and 0% Minimal. Clearing space around a structure changes the outcome here more than any single building-material swap.
How Pajarito Mesa compares
Pajarito Mesa ranks lower within New Mexico (33rd percentile statewide) than its 63rd national percentile suggests alone — a calmer spot in a state where wildfire risk generally runs high. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Pajarito Mesa ranks 11,795 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 18,606 by building count (1 is largest). Within New Mexico alone, it ranks 330 of 495 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for New Mexico on its state page.
Shopping for coverage in Pajarito Mesa
Pajarito Mesa's high rating (63rd 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.
What would actually reduce this score
With 99.5% of Pajarito Mesa 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.
More on how this number was built
Pajarito Mesa's 63rd-percentile score and its burn-probability figure both come from the same USFS workbook, documented in the methodology guide. For more on what direct exposure implies beyond Pajarito Mesa, see the exposure-zones guide.