Cleburne County, Alabama (pop. 15,056) is protected entirely by volunteer and paid-per-call firefighters. The Heflin Fire Department covers the county seat, while nine volunteer departments, from Ranburne and Fruithurst to Hollis Crossroads and Muscadine, cover the rest of the county's 561 square miles, much of it in the Talladega National Forest. Together they list more than 150 firefighters and at least 10 stations. All fire and medical emergencies are dispatched by Cleburne County 911.
Non-emergency (County EMA/911 office)
(256) 463-8911- Heflin Fire Department (via Heflin City Hall): (256) 463-2290
- Cleburne County Emergency Management: (256) 463-3820
- Cleburne County Public Safety & Administration Center, 6751 Highway 78, Heflin, AL 36264, USA
- cityofheflin.org/departments/heflin-fire-department
- cleburnecountyal.com/ema-911 (county EMA/911)
- EMA/911 office: Mon–Fri 8:00–16:30 (CT)
Who Provides Fire Protection in Cleburne County
- Heflin Fire Department — the city department of the county seat, staffed by volunteer and paid-per-call firefighters (30 listed in the national registry) and led by Chief Jonathan Adams. NERIS lists two stations; the headquarters is at 1335 Ross Street.
- Nine volunteer fire departments — Abernathy, Fruithurst, Hollis Crossroads, Micaville, Muscadine, Piney Woods-Oak Level, Ranburne (combined rescue squad and fire department), Turkey Heaven and Upper Cane Creek. Most run one station; Turkey Heaven runs two.
No department in the county has career (full-time) firefighters. 911 calls are answered by the Cleburne County Emergency Communications District, which is combined with the county EMA and dispatches the right department based on your address.
Fire Departments in Cleburne County
| Department | Type | Main station | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heflin Fire Department | Volunteer / paid-per-call (2 stations) | 1335 Ross St, Heflin, AL 36264 (HQ) | (256) 463-2290 (City Hall) |
| Abernathy VFD | Volunteer | 14326 County Rd 66, Heflin, AL 36264 | Not published |
| Fruithurst VFD | Volunteer | Fruithurst, AL 36262 (street address not confirmed) | Not published |
| Hollis Crossroads VFD | Volunteer | 9020 US Hwy 431, Heflin, AL 36264 | (256) 253-0051 |
| Micaville VFD | Volunteer | 3384 County Rd 10, Heflin, AL 36264 | Not published |
| Muscadine VFD | Volunteer | 96 County Rd 446, Muscadine, AL 36269 | Not published |
| Piney Woods-Oak Level VFD | Volunteer | 7890 County Rd 65, Fruithurst, AL 36262 | Not published |
| Ranburne Rescue Squad & Fire Dept. | Volunteer | 21953 Main St, Ranburne, AL 36273 | (256) 568-3000 |
| Turkey Heaven VFD | Volunteer (2 stations) | 1894 County Rd 41, Ranburne, AL 36273; also listed at 13589 Hwy 46, Heflin | (256) 748-3704 |
| Upper Cane Creek VFD | Volunteer | 12106 Hwy 78, Fruithurst, AL 36262 | Not published |
Volunteer stations are not staffed around the clock. For anything urgent, call 911; for non-emergencies, call the county EMA/911 office at (256) 463-8911 rather than a station number.
Registered Firefighters by Department
National registry listings show about 30 paid-per-call firefighters in Heflin, 26 volunteers at Hollis Crossroads, 25 at Turkey Heaven, 24 at Ranburne, 20 at Piney Woods-Oak Level, 16 at Muscadine and 10 at Fruithurst, or about 151 in total. Micaville lists 52 members without firefighter numbers; Abernathy and Upper Cane Creek publish none. These self-reported figures may be out of date.
Estimated Response Time
With about 27 residents per square mile, Cleburne County is rural throughout. Heflin's two stations share about 16 square miles of city land, an average distance to the nearest station of roughly 1.6 miles. The other eight known stations cover some 544 square miles of hills and national forest, an average radius of roughly 4.7 miles. Because every crew is volunteer or paid-per-call, firefighters first have to reach the station, so the volunteer baseline applies everywhere.
| Radius | Volunteer baseline | Where it applies |
|---|---|---|
| ≤ 1.5 mi | 8–12 min | Central Heflin, Ranburne, Fruithurst |
| 1.5–3 mi | 10–14 min | Most of Heflin (avg. 1.6 mi) |
| 3–6 mi | 12–18 min | Typical rural address (avg. 4.7 mi) |
| > 6 mi | 18+ min | Remote forest and mountain roads |
Typical expectation: about 10–14 minutes in Heflin and about 12–18 minutes for most rural addresses, longer in the Talladega National Forest.
Estimated Fire Control Time
| Fire size | Example | Indicative time |
|---|---|---|
| Small | Grass patch, dumpster, small vehicle | 5–20 min |
| Medium | Room-and-contents, car fully involved | 15–45 min |
| Large | Whole house, commercial unit | 45–120 min |
| Major | Multi-alarm, industrial, large woodland fire | 2–12+ hours |
Outside town limits, most roads have no hydrants, so water is shuttled by tanker and neighboring departments respond on mutual aid; expect times toward the upper end of each range. Woodland fires in and around the Talladega National Forest are fought together with the Alabama Forestry Commission. Interstate 20 and US Highways 78 and 431 cross the county, so vehicle fires and crashes are a regular call type.
Apparatus & Equipment
None of the county's departments publishes a fleet list. Ask the department directly for current apparatus.
Ratings & Accreditation
ISO Public Protection Classification ratings for Heflin and the rural fire districts are not published.
Outdoor burning: In Alabama, a permit from the Alabama Forestry Commission, (800) 392-5679, is required for burns larger than ¼ acre. Burning without a permit is a misdemeanor, and statewide no-burn orders can apply during droughts. Inside Heflin, check with City Hall at (256) 463-2290.
Neighboring Counties
- Cherokee County, AL (north)
- Polk County, GA (northeast)
- Haralson County, GA (east)
- Carroll County, GA (southeast)
- Randolph County, AL (south)
- Clay County, AL (southwest)
- Talladega County, AL (southwest)
- Calhoun County, AL (west)
FAQ
What is the non-emergency number for fire in Cleburne County?
Call the Cleburne County EMA/911 office at (256) 463-8911. For the Heflin Fire Department, call Heflin City Hall at (256) 463-2290. For any fire or medical emergency, always call 911.
Who fights fires outside Heflin?
Nine volunteer departments cover the rural county: Abernathy, Fruithurst, Hollis Crossroads, Micaville, Muscadine, Piney Woods-Oak Level, Ranburne, Turkey Heaven and Upper Cane Creek. 911 dispatches the right one based on your address.
Does Cleburne County have a career fire department?
No. All departments, including the Heflin Fire Department, are staffed by volunteer or paid-per-call firefighters.
How fast does the fire department respond in Cleburne County?
In Heflin, the first unit usually arrives in about 10–14 minutes. In rural parts of the county, about 12–18 minutes is typical, and longer in remote forest areas.
Do I need a burn permit in Cleburne County?
Burns larger than ¼ acre need an Alabama Forestry Commission permit from (800) 392-5679. Inside Heflin, also check with City Hall at (256) 463-2290.
Last verified:
- City of Heflin — Heflin Fire Department (chief, address, non-emergency line)
- Cleburne County — EMA/911 (non-emergency, EMA phone, address, hours)
- Alabama 911 Board — Emergency Communications Districts (Cleburne County ECD)
- Town of Ranburne — Fire Department (address, phone)
- Alabama Forestry Commission — Burn Permits
- U.S. Census Bureau — Cleburne County QuickFacts (population)
- NERIS national fire department registry (Heflin stations; Abernathy, Upper Cane Creek, Piney Woods-Oak Level, Fruithurst records)
- Digital Firehouse — Cleburne County departments (registry personnel, stations, phones)
- FindCityOffice — Cleburne County fire departments (station addresses)
- Wikipedia — Cleburne County, Alabama (area, neighbors, highways, national forest)
- Wikipedia — Heflin, Alabama (city land area, 2020 Census Gazetteer)