Gila County, Arizona (pop. 53,272) is protected by a combination system of 15 fire departments with 35 stations across 4,758 square miles of mountains, forest and desert. Career departments serve Payson and Globe, fire districts such as Tri-City, Pine-Strawberry, Hellsgate, Tonto Basin and Water Wheel cover the outlying communities, volunteers protect Gisela, Young, Hayden and Winkelman, and the San Carlos Apache Fire Department serves the reservation.
ReadyGila — Gila County emergency information (Globe office)
(928) 402-8811- ReadyGila Payson office: (928) 474-1210
- Payson Fire Department: (928) 474-5242
- Globe Fire Department: (928) 425-4433
- Payson Fire Department, 400 W Main St, Payson, AZ 85541, USA
- readygila.com (alerts)
Who Provides Fire Protection in Gila County
- Payson Fire Department — the town department of Payson, mostly career, with 3 stations, 31 career and 10 paid-per-call firefighters. The Houston Mesa Fire District (Mesa del Caballo) contracts with Payson Fire for its service.
- Globe Fire Department — the county seat's mostly career department, established in 1890, with 19 career and 10 paid-per-call firefighters at 1 station.
- Fire districts — Tri-City (Claypool, 4 stations), Water Wheel Fire & Medical (4 stations, about 55 square miles northeast of Payson, staffed 24/7 with ALS first response), Tonto Basin (4), Hellsgate (Star Valley, 3), Christopher-Kohl's (3) and Pine-Strawberry (Pine and Strawberry, 2).
- Volunteer departments — Beaver Valley, Gisela Valley, Pleasant Valley (Young), Hayden and Winkelman.
- San Carlos Apache Fire Department — the tribal department of the San Carlos Apache Reservation, with 3 stations and 19 career, 5 volunteer and 4 paid-per-call firefighters.
Figures are as reported to the USFA registry (self-reported, may be out of date). The Payson Police Department's dispatch center also dispatches Payson Fire and the Hellsgate, Pine-Strawberry, Christopher-Kohl's, Water Wheel and Gisela Valley departments; dispatch for the rest of the county is not published in one place. The Town of Miami tells residents to dial 911 for fire and rescue. 911 sends the right department based on your address. Part of the Fort Apache Reservation also lies in the county.
Fire Departments in Gila County
| Department | Type | Headquarters | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Payson Fire Department | Mostly career (3 stations) | 400 W Main St, Payson, AZ 85541 | (928) 474-5242 |
| Globe Fire Department | Mostly career (1 station) | 175 N Pine St, Globe, AZ 85501 | (928) 425-4433 |
| Tri-City Fire Department | Fire district, mostly career (4 stations) | 4280 E Broadway, Claypool, AZ 85532 | (928) 425-0815 |
| Water Wheel Fire & Medical District | Fire district, career (4 stations) | 10603 N Houston Mesa Rd, Payson, AZ 85541 | (928) 474-3088 |
| Tonto Basin Fire District | Fire district, mostly career (4 stations) | 373 S Old Hwy 188, Tonto Basin, AZ 85553 | (928) 479-2203 |
| Pine-Strawberry Fire District | Fire district, mostly career (2 stations) | 3741 N Prince Dr, Pine, AZ 85544 | (928) 476-4272 |
| Hellsgate Fire District | Fire district, mostly volunteer (3 stations) | 80 S Walters Ln, Star Valley, AZ 85541 | (928) 474-3835 |
| Christopher-Kohl's Fire District | Fire district, mostly volunteer (3 stations) | 930 E Christopher Creek Loop, Payson, AZ 85541 | (928) 478-4011 |
| Houston Mesa Fire District | Mostly volunteer; service by Payson FD (1 station) | 8139 W Mescalero Rd, Payson, AZ 85541 | (928) 472-7908 |
| San Carlos Apache Fire Department | Tribal, mostly career (3 stations) | 74 San Carlos Ave, San Carlos, AZ 85550 | (928) 475-5010 |
| Beaver Valley Fire Department | Volunteer (1 station) | 911 Beaver Flat Rd, Payson, AZ 85541 | (928) 472-4711 |
| Gisela Valley VFD | Volunteer (2 stations) | 269 S Stetson Dr, Payson, AZ 85541 | (928) 474-7413 |
| Pleasant Valley VFD | Volunteer (2 stations) | 47529 AZ Hwy 288, Young, AZ 85554 | (928) 462-3678 |
| Hayden VFD | Volunteer (1 station) | Fourth St & Velasco, Hayden, AZ 85235 | (520) 356-6205 |
| Winkelman VFD | Volunteer (1 station) | 101 W 3rd St, Winkelman, AZ 85292 | (520) 356-7854 |
Volunteer stations are not always staffed. In an emergency, call 911.
Personnel by Department
Career / volunteer / paid-per-call firefighters as reported to the USFA registry: Payson 31 / 0 / 10, Tri-City 24 / 10 / 0, Globe 19 / 0 / 10, San Carlos Apache 19 / 5 / 4, Pine-Strawberry 18 / 0 / 10, Hellsgate 8 / 0 / 33, Tonto Basin 8 / 5 / 0, Christopher-Kohl's 6 / 15 / 0, Water Wheel 5 / 0 / 0, Houston Mesa 1 / 12 / 0, Beaver Valley 0 / 18 / 3, Gisela Valley 0 / 20 / 0, Hayden 0 / 16 / 0, Pleasant Valley 0 / 13 / 0 and Winkelman 0 / 13 / 13.
Estimated Response Time
Each estimate takes the average distance to the nearest station, r ≈ √(area ÷ (stations × π)). In Payson, three stations share 19.35 square miles (about 1.4 miles); Globe's single station covers 18.2 square miles (about 2.4 miles); Water Wheel's four stations cover about 55 square miles (about 2.1 miles). The other 27 stations share the remaining 4,665 square miles (11 residents per square mile), roughly 7.4 miles each — very rough, as much of that land is forest or desert with no homes.
| Radius | Payson, Globe (career) | Fire districts (combination) | Volunteer areas |
|---|---|---|---|
| ≤ 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 4–6 minutes in Payson, 6–8 minutes in Globe, 7–10 minutes in the Water Wheel district, and 13–18+ minutes in remote parts of the county.
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 |
Many mountain and desert roads have no hydrants, so water comes by tanker and neighboring departments help; expect the upper end of each range outside Payson and Globe. The county includes parts of the Tonto and Coconino national forests below the Mogollon Rim, and ReadyGila lists the 2019 Woodbury, 2020 Bush and 2021 Telegraph wildfires among recent large fires.
Apparatus & Equipment
Fleet lists are not published. Water Wheel provides ALS and BLS first response.
- Fire suppression
- Wildland
- EMS (ALS first response)
- Tanker water supply
Ratings & Accreditation
ISO Public Protection Classification ratings are not published on the departments' official sites.
Outdoor burning: In Arizona, open burning needs a permit from the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) or a fire department it has delegated, and you should also check with your local fire district. In Pine and Strawberry, call (928) 476-4272; the district issues no permits once fire restrictions are in effect. Wildland fire is handled with the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management; for national forest restrictions call the Tonto National Forest, (928) 474-7900.
Neighboring Counties
- Coconino County, AZ (north)
- Navajo County, AZ (east and northeast)
- Graham County, AZ (south)
- Pinal County, AZ (south)
- Maricopa County, AZ (west)
- Yavapai County, AZ (north-northwest)
FAQ
What is the non-emergency number for fire in Gila County?
Payson Fire Department: (928) 474-5242. Globe Fire Department: (928) 425-4433. ReadyGila county offices: (928) 402-8811 (Globe) and (928) 474-1210 (Payson). For any fire or medical emergency, always call 911.
Which fire departments serve Gila County?
Fifteen departments: Payson and Globe fire departments, the Tri-City, Water Wheel, Tonto Basin, Pine-Strawberry, Hellsgate, Christopher-Kohl's and Houston Mesa fire districts, the San Carlos Apache Fire Department, and the Beaver Valley, Gisela Valley, Pleasant Valley, Hayden and Winkelman volunteer departments.
Who dispatches fire calls around Payson?
The Payson Police Department dispatch center dispatches Payson Fire and the Hellsgate, Pine-Strawberry, Christopher-Kohl's, Water Wheel and Gisela Valley departments. Elsewhere, call 911 and the call is routed by your address.
How fast does the fire department respond in Gila County?
About 4–6 minutes for the first unit in Payson, 6–8 minutes in Globe and 7–10 minutes in the Water Wheel district. In remote parts of the county, 13–18 minutes or more is typical.
Do I need a burn permit in Gila County?
Yes. Open burning in Arizona needs a permit from ADEQ or a delegated fire department; check with your local fire district first. In Pine and Strawberry, call (928) 476-4272. No permits are issued during fire restrictions.
Last verified:
- U.S. Fire Administration — National Fire Department Registry (Arizona download, retrieved October 12, 2026) (departments, addresses, phones, stations, personnel)
- Water Wheel Fire & Medical District (service area, staffing, ALS)
- Hellsgate Fire District (Station 21, phone)
- Fire District of Pine-Strawberry (stations, burn permits, restrictions)
- Houston Mesa Fire District (station, Payson FD contract)
- ReadyGila — Gila County (offices, wildfires)
- Town of Miami — 24-Hour Emergency Services
- ADEQ — Open Burning
- Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management
- 1st Responder News — Globe Fire Department (established 1890)
- Wikipedia — Gila County, Arizona (2020 Census population, land area, neighbors)
- Wikipedia — Payson, Arizona (land area, police dispatch)
- Wikipedia — Globe, Arizona (land area)