Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska (pop. 95,655) is protected by a combination system: the career Fairbanks Fire Department, the North Pole Fire Department and the University Fire Department at UAF, plus borough fire service areas run by Chena Goldstream Fire & Rescue, Steese, North Star and Ester volunteer departments, and Salcha Fire & Rescue. These service areas cover about 316 of the borough's 7,444 square miles. The Fairbanks Emergency Communications Center dispatches all eight.
Fairbanks Emergency Communications Center (dispatch, non-emergency)
(907) 459-6800- Fairbanks Fire Department (non-emergency): (907) 450-6600
- Fairbanks Fire Marshal: (907) 450-6614
- Alaska Interagency Fire Information (wildfire): (907) 356-5511
- Fairbanks Fire Station 1, 1101 Cushman St, Fairbanks, AK 99701, USA
- fairbanks.gov/fire
Who Provides Fire Protection in Fairbanks North Star Borough
- Fairbanks Fire Department — career, 44 full-time staff on three 48-on/96-off shifts, 19 of them paramedics; two staffed stations plus an unstaffed Station 2 by the training center.
- University Fire Department (UAF) — 11 career staff and 40+ student firefighters, fire and ALS ambulance from two stations, covering the campus and the University Fire Service Area.
- North Pole Fire Department — city fire and ambulance service from 110 Lewis Street.
- Borough fire service areas — Chena Goldstream, Steese, North Star and Ester are funded by borough property taxes and run under contract by local departments. Steese reported 159 fire and 936 EMS calls in the year to June 30, 2025.
- Salcha Fire & Rescue — fire and EMS for the Salcha area, outside the mapped service areas.
The Fairbanks Emergency Communications Center (FECC), with dispatchers cross-trained for police, fire and medical calls, dispatches all eight departments and the FNSB Haz-Mat team; North Star and Ester are dispatched for fire only. Fort Wainwright and Eielson Air Force Base have their own fire departments and are among the ten departments that trade mutual aid with Fairbanks.
Fire Departments in Fairbanks North Star Borough
| Department | Type | Main station | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fairbanks Fire Department | Career (3 stations) | 1101 Cushman St, Fairbanks, AK 99701 | (907) 450-6600 |
| North Pole Fire Department | City | 110 Lewis St, North Pole, AK 99705 | (907) 488-2232 |
| University Fire Department | Career + students (2) | 1011 N Chandalar Dr, Fairbanks, AK 99775 | (907) 474-5770 |
| Chena Goldstream Fire & Rescue | Combination (4) | 716 Chena Ridge Rd, Fairbanks, AK 99709 (Sta. 42) | (907) 479-5672 |
| Steese Volunteer Fire Department | Volunteer (3) | 800 William C. Leary Ln, Fairbanks, AK 99712 | (907) 457-3710 |
| North Star Volunteer Fire Department | Volunteer | 2358 Bradway Rd, North Pole, AK 99705 (Sta. 31) | Not published |
| Ester Volunteer Fire Department | Volunteer (1) | 3570 Old Nenana Hwy, Fairbanks, AK 99709 (Sta. 51) | (907) 479-6858 |
| Salcha Fire & Rescue | Not published | Salcha | Not published |
Volunteer stations are not always staffed. For anything urgent, call 911 rather than a station number.
Other Known Stations
| Station | Address |
|---|---|
| Fairbanks Station 3 | 1033 Aurora Dr, Fairbanks, AK 99701 |
| Fairbanks Station 2 (unstaffed, reserve) | By the Regional Fire Training Center, 1710 30th Ave |
| UAF Station 12 | 1950 S University Ave, Fairbanks, AK 99709 |
| Chena Goldstream Stations 41, 43, 44 | Not published |
| Steese Stations 61, 62, 63 | Not published |
Estimated Response Time
Because most of the borough is roadless, each estimate uses only that department's own service area from the borough's fire service area map, r ≈ √(area ÷ (stations × π)). Fairbanks (32.7 sq mi, two staffed stations) gives about 2.3 miles; UAF (22.0 sq mi, 2) 1.9; North Pole (4.1 sq mi, 1) 1.1; Chena Goldstream (78.2 sq mi, 4) 2.5; Steese (41.0 sq mi, 3) 2.1; Ester (33.3 sq mi, 1) 3.3; North Star (105.0 sq mi, only Station 31 published) up to 5.8 miles. Outside these areas there is no service-area fire protection and no estimate.
| Radius | Fairbanks, UAF (career) | North Pole, Chena Goldstream, Steese | Ester, North Star (volunteer) |
|---|---|---|---|
| ≤ 1.5 mi | 4–6 min | 5–8 min | 8–12 min |
| 1.5–3 mi | 6–8 min | 7–10 min | 10–14 min |
| 3–6 mi | 8–11 min | 9–13 min | 12–18 min |
| > 6 mi | 11+ min | 13+ min | 18+ min |
Typical expectation: about 6–8 minutes in Fairbanks and the UAF area, 5–10 minutes in North Pole, Chena Ridge, Goldstream and the Steese area, and 12–18 minutes in Ester and the North Star area.
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 forest fire | 2–12+ hours |
Outside hydranted city and campus areas, water comes by tender, and neighbouring departments help under mutual aid; expect the upper end of each range there. UAF is rated separately for hydranted and non-hydranted areas. Wildland fires are handled with the Alaska Division of Forestry & Fire Protection.
Apparatus & Equipment
- Fairbanks FD engines
- 4
- Fairbanks FD 100 ft aerial platform
- 1
- Fairbanks FD rescue unit (with raft)
- 1
- Fairbanks FD ambulances
- 2
- Fairbanks FD battalion chief vehicle
- 1
- Chena Goldstream F&R engines
- 3
- Chena Goldstream F&R tenders
- 4
- Chena Goldstream F&R command, squad, brush and utility units
- 7
- Ester VFD engines
- 2
- Ester VFD tender
- 1
- Ester VFD brush unit
- 1
- Ester VFD command vehicle
- 1
Chena Goldstream F&R also runs ambulances, a water rescue boat and rescue trailers (numbers not published). Other fleets are not published.
- Fire suppression
- EMS / ALS ambulance
- Hazmat
- Water rescue
- Wildland
Ratings & Accreditation
University Fire Department: ISO PPC Class 2 in the hydranted area and Class 3 in non-hydranted areas (as of April 1, 2011). Ratings for the other departments are not published.
Outdoor burning: From April 1 to August 31 the Alaska Division of Forestry & Fire Protection requires a burn permit for burn barrels, lawns under 1 acre and brush piles up to 10 ft wide and 4 ft high; larger burns need a large-scale permit. Campfires under 3 ft need none. Fairbanks area permits: online or the burn hotline at (907) 451-2631. Burn suspensions can apply. Tell dispatch about a planned burn at (907) 459-6800.
Neighboring Boroughs & Census Areas
- Yukon–Koyukuk Census Area, AK (north)
- Southeast Fairbanks Census Area, AK (southeast)
- Denali Borough, AK (southwest)
FAQ
What is the non-emergency number for fire in Fairbanks North Star Borough?
Fairbanks Emergency Communications Center: (907) 459-6800. Fairbanks Fire Department non-emergency: (907) 450-6600. For any fire or medical emergency, always call 911.
Who fights fires outside Fairbanks and North Pole?
Borough fire service areas are covered by Chena Goldstream Fire & Rescue, the University Fire Department and the Steese, North Star and Ester volunteer departments; Salcha Fire & Rescue serves Salcha. Large remote parts of the borough have no structural fire protection.
How fast does the fire department respond in Fairbanks North Star Borough?
About 6–8 minutes for the first unit in Fairbanks and the UAF area, 5–10 minutes in North Pole, Chena Goldstream and Steese, and 12–18 minutes in Ester and the North Star area. There is no estimate outside the fire service areas.
Do I need a burn permit in Fairbanks North Star Borough?
From April 1 to August 31, burn barrels, small lawn burns and brush piles need an Alaska Division of Forestry & Fire Protection permit, available online or via the burn hotline at (907) 451-2631.
Do Fort Wainwright and Eielson Air Force Base have fire departments?
Yes. Both have their own fire departments and are among the ten departments that trade mutual aid with the Fairbanks Fire Department.
Last verified:
- City of Fairbanks — Fire Department (phones, stations, burn notice)
- Fairbanks Fire Department — History (staffing, mutual aid)
- Fairbanks Fire Department — Apparatus
- Fairbanks Fire Department — Local departments
- Fairbanks Emergency Communications Center — About (dispatch)
- FNSB GIS — Fire service areas (areas in sq mi)
- FNSB Code, Chapter 14.20 — Fire Protection
- UAF — University Fire Department (stations, phone)
- UAF Fire — About (staffing, ISO)
- City of North Pole — Fire Department
- Chena Goldstream Fire & Rescue
- Steese Volunteer Fire Department
- Ester Volunteer Fire Department
- Alaska Division of Forestry & Fire Protection — Fairbanks area burn permits
- GuideStar — Steese Area VFD (calls FY2025)
- GuideStar — North Star VFD (address, mission)
- Wikipedia — Fairbanks North Star Borough (population, area, neighbours)