Cochise County, Arizona (pop. 125,447) has a combination fire system: career departments in Sierra Vista, Douglas and Bisbee and the career Fry Fire District south of Sierra Vista, plus 20 other fire districts and departments, mostly volunteer, from Benson and Willcox to Portal and San Simon. Large parts of the county's 6,166 square miles of land lie outside any fire district. SEACOM in Bisbee dispatches most fire calls.
Cochise County Emergency Management (non-emergency)
(520) 432-9223- Fry Fire District: (520) 378-2222
- SEACOM 911 & Emergency Management, 1415 Melody Lane, Bisbee, AZ 85603, USA
- cochise.az.gov/287/Emergency-Management
Who Provides Fire Protection in Cochise County
- City departments — career crews in Sierra Vista (50 firefighters, 3 stations plus an EMS substation), Douglas (25) and Bisbee (20); volunteer departments in Benson, Willcox and Tombstone.
- Fry Fire District — career, founded in April 1965; fire, rescue, hazmat, wildland, technical rescue and EMS over about 50 square miles of district, with ambulance service over about 200 square miles around Sierra Vista. It also serves Huachuca City under contract.
- 16 rural fire districts and volunteer departments (listed below), several with a few paid staff.
SEACOM in Bisbee (opened July 2018) answers 911 for nearly all of the county and dispatches 16 fire agencies; the Douglas area, Benson and the St. David, Pomerene and Mescal areas are dispatched elsewhere. Many rural areas lie outside any fire district: in 2025 Willcox's chief told KOLD his crews are not required to respond beyond city limits, and put a subscription at roughly $300 a year.
Fire Departments in Cochise County
| Department | Type, stations | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| Sierra Vista Fire & Medical Services | Career, 3 | (520) 417-4400 |
| Fry Fire District | Career, 3 | (520) 378-2222 |
| Douglas FD | Career, 1 | (520) 364-2481 |
| Bisbee FD | Career, 2 | (520) 432-4110 |
| Benson FD | Volunteer, 1 | (520) 586-9832 |
| Bowie Fire District | Volunteer, 1 | (520) 847-2553 |
| Elfrida Fire District | Mostly volunteer, 1 | (520) 642-3749 |
| Huachuca City Fire Department (Fry contract) | Mostly volunteer, 1 | (520) 456-1353 |
| Mescal-J6 Fire District | Volunteer, 3 | (520) 586-4690 |
| Naco Fire District | Volunteer, 2 | (520) 432-3062 |
| Palominas Fire District | Mostly volunteer, 3 | (520) 803-9919 |
| Pirtleville Fire District | Volunteer, 1 | (520) 364-4111 |
| Pomerene Fire District | Not published | Not published |
| Portal Rescue | Volunteer, 1 (fire + EMS) | (520) 558-2206 |
| Presidential Estates/Babocomari/Woody Hills Fire District | Volunteer, 2 | (520) 456-1471 |
| St. David Fire District | Volunteer, 1 | (520) 720-4045 |
| San Jose Fire District | Not published | Not published |
| San Simon VFD | Volunteer, 1 | (520) 845-2439 |
| Sunnyside Fire District | Volunteer, 1 | (520) 364-7751 |
| Sunsites-Pearce Fire District | Mostly volunteer, 2 | (520) 826-3645 |
| Tombstone VFD | Volunteer, 1 | (520) 457-2202 |
| Whetstone Fire District | Mostly volunteer, 1 | (520) 456-1717 |
| Willcox FD | Volunteer, 2 | (520) 384-4673 |
| Willcox Rural FD | Volunteer, 1 | (520) 384-3271 |
Many rural stations are not staffed around the clock. Portal Rescue's station is unmanned; cell callers in Portal should ask 911 for Cochise County Sheriff Dispatch. For anything urgent, call 911.
Other fire services: San Pedro Volunteer Fire Department, St. David — registered as a private or industrial brigade, 1 station.
Fry Fire District stations (Sierra Vista): Station 1, 207 N Second St; Station 2 (HQ), 4817 S Apache Ave; Station 3 and training site, 5019 S Arabian Ave. Admin and billing: (520) 378-3276.
Estimated Response Time
We divide each served area by its stations to get an average radius to the nearest station: Fry Fire District about 50 sq mi for 3 stations (2.3 miles), Douglas 10 sq mi for 1 (1.8 miles), Bisbee 5.2 sq mi for 2 (0.9 mile). Sierra Vista's 152 sq mi include Fort Huachuca, so no comparable figure exists. About 26 rural stations share roughly 5,950 sq mi (20 residents per sq mi), about 8.5 miles each; very rough, as much of that land lies outside any fire district.
| Radius | Career areas | Rural county (volunteer) |
|---|---|---|
| ≤ 1.5 mi | 4–6 min | 8–12 min |
| 1.5–3 mi | 6–8 min | 10–14 min |
| 3–6 mi | 8–11 min | 12–18 min |
| > 6 mi | 11+ min | 18+ min |
Typical expectation: about 4–8 minutes in Sierra Vista, the Fry district, Douglas and Bisbee, and 18 minutes or more for many rural addresses; much longer outside any fire district.
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 brush fire | 2–12+ hours |
Outside the towns, water often comes by tender and neighboring districts help; expect the upper end of each range. Wildland fire on state and private land is handled with the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management (DFFM).
Apparatus & Equipment
- Sierra Vista Station 4 ambulance (EMS substation)
- 1
Station 4 (2022) has one ambulance staffed 24/7 by an EMT and a paramedic. Other fleets are not published. Fry Fire District lists 2 deputy chiefs, 9 captains, 9 engineers and 18 firefighters; Douglas bills for ambulance service.
- Fire suppression
- EMS & ambulance
- Hazmat
- Wildland
- Technical rescue
Ratings & Accreditation
Fry Fire District: ISO PPC Class 3 (August 2017). Huachuca City: ISO Class 3. Ratings for other departments are not published.
Outdoor burning: Only Maricopa, Pima and Pinal counties issue their own permits, so in Cochise County open burning permits come from ADEQ or a fire district it has delegated, and you must notify your local fire agency first. Whetstone permits cover yard trimmings only, 8:00–17:00, wind under 10 mph, 50 ft from dwellings, never on Red Flag days. Ask your district before any burn.
Neighboring Counties
- Graham County, AZ (north)
- Greenlee County, AZ (north)
- Hidalgo County, NM (east)
- Sonora, Mexico — Agua Prieta, Naco, Cananea, Santa Cruz (south)
- Santa Cruz County, AZ (south and west)
- Pima County, AZ (west)
FAQ
What is the non-emergency number for fire in Cochise County?
Cochise County Emergency Management: (520) 432-9223; Fry Fire District: (520) 378-2222. In an emergency, always call 911.
Who dispatches fire calls in Cochise County?
SEACOM in Bisbee answers 911 for most of the county; the Douglas area, Benson and the St. David, Pomerene and Mescal areas are dispatched separately.
Is every part of Cochise County in a fire district?
No. Large rural areas lie outside any fire district, so help can take much longer to arrive.
How fast does the fire department respond in Cochise County?
About 4–8 minutes for the first unit in Sierra Vista, the Fry district, Douglas and Bisbee; 18 minutes or more in many rural areas.
Do I need a burn permit in Cochise County?
Usually yes: permits come from ADEQ or a delegated fire district, and you must notify your local fire agency first. Campfires and cooking fires are exempt.
Last verified:
- U.S. Fire Administration — National Fire Department Registry (Arizona download, retrieved October 12, 2026)
- Cochise County — SEACOM 911
- Cochise County — Emergency Management
- Fry Fire District — About Us
- Fry Fire District — Station Locations
- Fry Fire District — ISO Info & District Map
- Fry Fire District
- Town of Huachuca City — Fire Department
- City of Douglas
- Elfrida Fire District
- Sunsites-Pearce Fire District
- Whetstone Fire District
- Portal Rescue
- Bowie Fire District
- Ariz. Admin. Code R18-2-602 — Unlawful Open Burning
- Fire Apparatus Magazine — Sierra Vista gets new fire station (2022)
- KOLD — Fire district deserts in Cochise County (2025)
- Wikipedia — Cochise County, Arizona (2020 Census population, land area, neighbors)
- Wikipedia — Sierra Vista, Arizona
- Wikipedia — Douglas, Arizona
- Wikipedia — Bisbee, Arizona