White Sands, NM
White Sands, NM's wildfire risk, in USFS's own numbers
USFS scores White Sands at the 55th national percentile for wildfire risk to structures (modestly above the national average for wildfire risk), a figure built from 974 real buildings rather than raw vegetation cover. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Fire likelihood alone (USFS's burn-probability figure) ranks White Sands at the 52nd national percentile — 3 points below its risk-to-structures score, a gap driven by how much is actually built there.
Where White Sands's buildings actually sit
974 buildings are counted in White Sands, and 59.1% of them are Indirect exposure — ember-driven risk rather than the 40.9% in Direct exposure or the 0% rated Minimal.
Where White Sands ranks
White Sands's 55th national percentile looks worse in isolation than its 22nd ranking inside New Mexico does — this place is on the milder end for its own state, by 33 points. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, White Sands ranks 14,281 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 12,111 by building count (1 is largest). Within New Mexico alone, it ranks 387 of 495 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for New Mexico on its state page.
Shopping for coverage in White Sands
White Sands's elevated rating (55th 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 White Sands
White Sands's 59.1% 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 White Sands's figures come from
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 974 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for White Sands. The exposure-zones guide covers what White Sands's dominant indirect exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.