Denali Borough, Alaska (pop. 1,619) spans 12,777 square miles, including part of Denali National Park, but its fire protection follows the George Parks Highway. Four volunteer fire departments share the corridor: Cantwell in the south, McKinley in Denali Park (McKinley Park), Tri-Valley in Healy, the borough seat, and the City of Anderson in the north. Tri-Valley, Cantwell and Anderson also provide ambulance coverage. The Fairbanks Emergency Communications Center dispatches for agencies in the borough.
Denali Borough office (main line)
(907) 683-1330- Tri-Valley Volunteer Fire Department (Healy): (907) 683-2223
- City of Anderson (fire department and city office): (907) 582-2500
- Denali Borough Emergency Planning and Management: (907) 683-1399
- Fairbanks Emergency Communications Center (dispatch, non-emergency): (907) 459-6800
- Denali Borough, P.O. Box 480, Healy, AK 99743, USA
- denaliborough.org — Volunteer Fire Departments
- Borough office: Mon–Thu 9:00–16:00 (AKT), closed Fri–Sun
Who Provides Fire Protection in Denali Borough
- Tri-Valley Volunteer Fire Department — Healy's fire and ambulance service, the largest coverage area in the borough. It trains every Tuesday at 7 p.m. at the Healy fire hall and sells a household ambulance plan ($100 per household in 2022).
- McKinley Volunteer Fire Department — based in McKinley Village in the Denali Park area; in 2019 it had 12 active volunteers, most of them EMT-trained, and sponsored its first EMT class.
- Cantwell Volunteer Fire Department — fire and EMS for Cantwell, at the western end of the Denali Highway.
- Anderson Volunteer Fire Department (City of Anderson) — basic life support EMS and fire protection for Anderson and the northern end of the borough, with its own wildland firefighting program.
The borough says fire protection and emergency medical response come from volunteers together with some paid staff. Its coverage map also shows a small Panguingue Creek fire area near Healy, where homeowners have turned out for wildland fires. The Fairbanks Emergency Communications Center lists the Denali Borough among the areas it dispatches for; Alaska State Troopers keep posts in Healy and Cantwell. Call 911 and give your Parks Highway milepost.
Fire Departments in Denali Borough
| Department | Type | Main station | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tri-Valley VFD | Volunteer (fire + EMS) | Fire hall, Healy, AK 99743 | (907) 683-2223 |
| McKinley VFD | Volunteer | McKinley Village, Denali Park, AK | Not published |
| Cantwell VFD | Volunteer (fire + EMS) | Cantwell, AK 99729 | Not published |
| Anderson VFD (City of Anderson) | Volunteer (fire + BLS EMS) | Anderson, AK 99744 (city office 260 W 1st Ave) | (907) 582-2500 |
Volunteer stations are not always staffed. For anything urgent, call 911 rather than a station or office number.
Coverage Along the Parks Highway
| Department | Parks Highway mileposts |
|---|---|
| Cantwell (fire) | Mile 202–220 (EMS to mile 224) |
| McKinley (fire) | Mile 220–243 |
| Tri-Valley (fire) | Mile 231–274 (EMS from mile 224) |
| Anderson (fire + EMS) | Mile 274–288.3 |
Source: Denali Borough Fire and EMS Coverage Map. Areas overlap; Cantwell and Anderson coverage extends beyond the borough line.
Estimated Response Time
Instead of dividing the whole borough by its stations, each department's radius is estimated over its own community's census land area. Anderson's 42.2 square miles of city land give an average radius of about 3.7 miles. Cantwell (119 sq mi) works out to about 6.2 miles, Denali Park (176 sq mi) to about 7.5 miles and Healy (687 sq mi, about 1.4 residents per square mile) to about 14.8 miles, though most homes sit along the highway. All crews are volunteers who must first reach the station. The coverage map shows no fire coverage away from the highway corridor, so the backcountry, including Kantishna, has no structural fire protection.
| Radius | Volunteer departments |
|---|---|
| ≤ 1.5 mi | 8–12 min |
| 1.5–3 mi | 10–14 min |
| 3–6 mi | 12–18 min |
| > 6 mi | 18+ min |
Typical expectation: about 12–18 minutes in Anderson, 8–14 minutes near the Healy, McKinley and Cantwell stations, and 18+ minutes for homes farther out along the highway.
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 |
With long distances between stations, expect the upper end of each range. Wildfires are led by the Alaska Division of Forestry & Fire Protection. In June 2025 the Bear Creek Fire north of Healy burned about 26,000 acres and destroyed at least 17 structures, six of them homes, leading to a state disaster declaration. In June 2026 the Starry Fire (about 550 acres) put Anderson under evacuation orders, and in 2022 the Clear Fire burned through two state subdivisions and threatened Anderson. Tri-Valley School in Healy has served as the evacuation shelter.
Apparatus & Equipment
None of the four departments publishes a fleet list.
- Fire suppression
- EMS / ambulance
- Wildland
- Mutual aid
Services & Community Programs
- Ambulance plan (Healy): Tri-Valley VFD's household plan covers emergency care balances not paid by insurance; call (907) 683-2223 for current terms.
- Volunteering: the borough asks fire and EMS volunteers to contact each department's chief officer for training information.
- Emergency planning: the Local Emergency Planning Committee meets quarterly; details at (907) 683-1330.
Ratings & Accreditation
ISO Public Protection Classification ratings for Denali Borough's fire departments are not published.
Outdoor burning: The Denali Borough lies in the Railbelt section of the Division of Forestry's Fairbanks Area. Burn permits are required April 1–August 31; a small-scale permit covers burn barrels, lawns under 1 acre and brush piles up to 10 feet across and 4 feet high, and larger burns need a large-scale permit. Campfires under 3 feet need no permit. Check burn status or suspensions on the Fairbanks Area hotline, (907) 451-2631.
Neighboring Boroughs and Census Areas
- Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, AK (west and north)
- Fairbanks North Star Borough, AK (northeast)
- Southeast Fairbanks Census Area, AK (east)
- Matanuska-Susitna Borough, AK (south)
FAQ
What is the non-emergency number for fire in Denali Borough?
Denali Borough office: (907) 683-1330. Tri-Valley Volunteer Fire Department in Healy: (907) 683-2223. City of Anderson: (907) 582-2500. For any fire or medical emergency, always call 911.
Which fire departments serve Denali Borough?
Four volunteer departments: Cantwell, McKinley (Denali Park), Tri-Valley (Healy) and the City of Anderson. Each covers a stretch of the Parks Highway.
Who dispatches 911 calls in Denali Borough?
The Fairbanks Emergency Communications Center lists the Denali Borough among the areas it dispatches for; its contact line is (907) 459-6800. Alaska State Troopers non-emergency dispatch: (907) 451-5100.
How fast does the fire department respond in Denali Borough?
About 12–18 minutes in Anderson and 8–14 minutes near the Healy, McKinley and Cantwell stations, but 18+ minutes for homes farther along the highway. Areas away from the highway have no structural fire protection.
Do I need a burn permit in Denali Borough?
Yes, from April 1 to August 31 for burn barrels, brush piles and larger burns. Permits come from the Alaska Division of Forestry & Fire Protection; check burn status with the Fairbanks Area hotline at (907) 451-2631.
Last verified:
- Denali Borough — Volunteer Fire Departments (departments, Tri-Valley phone, volunteers and paid staff)
- Denali Borough — Fire and EMS Coverage Map (mileposts, Panguingue Creek)
- Denali Borough — Emergency Planning and Management (phones, office hours, LEPC)
- Denali Borough — Wildland Fire Information (Railbelt burn section)
- City of Anderson — Public Safety (fire department, city office)
- City of Fairbanks — Emergency Communications Center (dispatch area, phone)
- Alaska Department of Public Safety — Trooper contacts (Healy and Cantwell posts, dispatch)
- Alaska Division of Forestry & Fire Protection — Burn Permits
- Alaska Division of Forestry — Fairbanks Area burn status (hotline)
- DVIDS — Denali Borough community service award (2026) (Anderson VFD)
- Fairbanks Daily News-Miner — Tri-Valley ambulance plan (2022)
- Fairbanks Daily News-Miner — Denali Borough gains 11 EMTs (2019) (McKinley VFD)
- Alaska Public Media — Disaster declaration for Denali Borough (2025)
- Alaska Public Media — Anderson under evacuation orders (2026)
- Alaska's News Source — Clear Fire disaster declaration (2022)
- Wikipedia — Denali Borough, Alaska (2020 population, area, neighbors; community land areas from the Healy, Anderson, Cantwell and Denali Park articles)