Picacho, AZ
How exposed is Picacho to wildfire?
Picacho's 215 buildings earn a 75th-percentile wildfire-risk score nationally under USFS's model — well above the national norm for wildfire risk. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Separately from the risk score above, Picacho's burn probability — fire likelihood with no building count factored in — sits at the 76th percentile nationally.
Where Picacho's buildings actually sit
Direct exposure dominates in Picacho: 89.8% of its 215 buildings, versus 10.2% Indirect and 0% Minimal. Clearing space around a structure changes the outcome here more than any single building-material swap.
Picacho against the rest of the country
Picacho ranks lower within Arizona (37th percentile statewide) than its 75th national percentile suggests alone — a calmer spot in a state where wildfire risk generally runs high. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Picacho ranks 7,807 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 24,297 by building count (1 is largest). Within Arizona alone, it ranks 280 of 441 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Arizona on its state page.
Picacho and the insurance market
At the 75th percentile nationally, Picacho carries the high rating that has pushed some carriers to limit new business in similarly-scored places elsewhere in the country. Worth comparing quotes rather than assuming last year's renewal terms still apply.
What would actually reduce this score
With 89.8% of Picacho 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 Picacho's figures come from
Every one of the two percentiles behind Picacho's 7,807-place national rank traces to USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities dataset — see the methodology guide. The exposure-zones guide covers what Picacho's dominant direct exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.