Out of 35 counties with wildfire data, these are the counties with the highest smoke exposure risk.
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Counties ranked | 35 |
| Avg smoke risk (top 100) | 35/100 |
| Total county fires 5yr (top 100) | 586 |
Top 35 Counties
| Rank | County | State | Smoke Risk | County Fires (5yr) | ZIP Codes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Otero | New Mexico | 57/100 | 28 | 15 |
| 2 | Grant | New Mexico | 51/100 | 34 | 18 |
| 3 | Lincoln | New Mexico | 50/100 | 28 | 18 |
| 4 | Catron | New Mexico | 47/100 | 79 | 7 |
| 5 | Santa Fe | New Mexico | 47/100 | 18 | 23 |
| 6 | Mora | New Mexico | 47/100 | 9 | 13 |
| 7 | Colfax | New Mexico | 46/100 | 2 | 8 |
| 8 | Taos | New Mexico | 44/100 | 8 | 21 |
| 9 | Rio Arriba | New Mexico | 42/100 | 22 | 27 |
| 10 | San Miguel | New Mexico | 41/100 | 9 | 15 |
| 11 | Roosevelt | New Mexico | 40/100 | 7 | 10 |
| 12 | Ocean | New Mexico | 39/100 | 6 | 1 |
| 13 | Sierra | New Mexico | 39/100 | 4 | 7 |
| 14 | Chaves | New Mexico | 36/100 | 19 | 6 |
| 15 | Lea | New Mexico | 35/100 | 48 | 14 |
| 16 | Bernalillo | New Mexico | 32/100 | 4 | 46 |
| 17 | Harding | New Mexico | 31/100 | 10 | 5 |
| 18 | Eddy | New Mexico | 30/100 | 48 | 9 |
| 19 | Socorro | New Mexico | 30/100 | 19 | 9 |
| 20 | Sandoval | New Mexico | 30/100 | 18 | 15 |
| 21 | Hidalgo | New Mexico | 29/100 | 13 | 4 |
| 22 | Torrance | New Mexico | 29/100 | 6 | 9 |
| 23 | Valencia | New Mexico | 28/100 | 26 | 13 |
| 24 | Cibola | New Mexico | 28/100 | 26 | 6 |
| 25 | Dona Ana | New Mexico | 28/100 | 10 | 6 |
| 26 | Union | New Mexico | 28/100 | 10 | 6 |
| 27 | Luna | New Mexico | 28/100 | 7 | 3 |
| 28 | Curry | New Mexico | 27/100 | 0 | 8 |
| 29 | McKinley | New Mexico | 26/100 | 26 | 25 |
| 30 | San Juan | New Mexico | 25/100 | 19 | 16 |
| 31 | Quay | New Mexico | 25/100 | 10 | 9 |
| 32 | Guadalupe | New Mexico | 25/100 | 2 | 5 |
| 33 | De Baca | New Mexico | 24/100 | 1 | 2 |
| 34 | Los Alamos | New Mexico | 24/100 | 0 | 3 |
| 35 | Doña Ana | New Mexico | 23/100 | 10 | 26 |
Methodology
County rankings for New Mexico based on average smoke risk score and fire frequency.
Data sources: National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC), EPA AirNow. Last updated: 2026-06-04.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is wildfire smoke risk calculated?
Smoke risk scores (0-100) combine multiple factors: proximity to recent wildfires, county fire frequency over the past 5 years, historical smoke days, and geographic position relative to typical fire corridors. Higher scores indicate greater smoke exposure risk during fire season.
How can I protect myself from wildfire smoke?
Use a HEPA air purifier indoors, wear N95 or KN95 masks outdoors during smoke events, seal windows and doors, and monitor AirNow.gov for real-time air quality. Create a clean room in your home with the purifier running and windows sealed.