Salem, NM
Salem wildfire risk explained
Salem sits at the 58th percentile nationally for wildfire risk to structures — modestly above the national average for wildfire risk — per USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities model, built from its 339 counted buildings, not vegetation cover alone. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Fire likelihood alone (USFS's burn-probability figure) ranks Salem at the 57th national percentile — 1 points below its risk-to-structures score, a gap driven by how much is actually built there.
Where Salem's buildings actually sit
Indirect exposure is dominant in Salem (78.5% of 339 buildings): far enough from burnable vegetation to avoid flame contact, close enough for wind-blown embers. Only 21.5% sit in the Direct zone.
Where Salem ranks
Inside New Mexico, Salem sits at just the 27th percentile even though it scores 58th nationally — the state's overall wildfire exposure is high enough to make this a relatively quiet corner of it. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Salem ranks 13,368 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 20,600 by building count (1 is largest). Within New Mexico alone, it ranks 363 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
Salem's elevated rating (58th percentile nationally) sits outside the range where wildfire risk alone reshapes an insurance market — still, a homeowner here loses nothing by comparing rates.
Hardening a home in Salem
Salem's 78.5% Indirect-exposure share points at embers, not flame contact, as the main pathway — ember-resistant vents and non-combustible roofing rank ahead of defensible space here. Detail in the home-hardening guide.
Where Salem's figures come from
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 339 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Salem. The exposure-zones guide covers what Salem's dominant indirect exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.