Tierra Amarilla, NM
Tierra Amarilla wildfire risk explained
Tierra Amarilla sits at the 85th percentile nationally for wildfire risk to structures — in USFS's highest wildfire-risk band nationally — per USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities model, built from its 349 counted buildings, not vegetation cover alone. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
USFS's separate burn-probability score — fire likelihood alone, before counting what's built there — puts Tierra Amarilla at the 83rd percentile, close to its 85th-percentile risk score.
Where Tierra Amarilla's buildings actually sit
Direct exposure dominates in Tierra Amarilla: 85.7% of its 349 buildings, versus 14.3% Indirect and 0% Minimal. Clearing space around a structure changes the outcome here more than any single building-material swap.
Tierra Amarilla against the rest of the country
Tierra Amarilla ranks lower within New Mexico (61st percentile statewide) than its 85th national percentile suggests alone — a calmer spot in a state where wildfire risk generally runs high. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Tierra Amarilla ranks 4,857 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 20,344 by building count (1 is largest). Within New Mexico alone, it ranks 192 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
Tierra Amarilla's very high rating (85th 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
Because Direct exposure dominates in Tierra Amarilla (85.7%), the highest-leverage fix is defensible space, not roofing or vents alone — covered in the home-hardening guide.
Where Tierra Amarilla's figures come from
Every one of the two percentiles behind Tierra Amarilla's 4,857-place national rank traces to USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities dataset — see the methodology guide. The exposure-zones guide covers what Tierra Amarilla's dominant direct exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.