Velarde, NM
Velarde wildfire risk explained
Velarde 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 449 counted buildings, not vegetation cover alone. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Fire likelihood alone (USFS's burn-probability figure) ranks Velarde at the 79th national percentile — 6 points below its risk-to-structures score, a gap driven by how much is actually built there.
Velarde's building exposure, zone by zone
83.3% of Velarde's 449 buildings sit in USFS's Direct exposure zone, roughly 374 structures close enough to burnable vegetation for flame contact, not just embers — 16.7% fall in the Indirect, ember-only zone and 0% are Minimal.
Where Velarde ranks
Velarde ranks lower within New Mexico (63rd 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, Velarde ranks 4,731 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 18,301 by building count (1 is largest). Within New Mexico alone, it ranks 185 of 495 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for New Mexico on its state page.
Velarde and the insurance market
At the 85th percentile nationally, Velarde carries the very 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 83.3% of Velarde 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
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 449 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Velarde. For more on what direct exposure implies beyond Velarde, see the exposure-zones guide.