Haines Borough, Alaska (pop. 2,080) spans 2,726 square miles of the upper Lynn Canal, but organized fire protection follows its roads. The Haines Volunteer Fire Department, a volunteer department with a few paid staff, protects the Haines townsite and runs the ambulance that covers Lutak Inlet, the Chilkat Peninsula and the Haines Highway to the Canadian border. Up the highway, the Klehini Valley Volunteer Fire Department serves Fire Service Area No. 3 around Mosquito Lake. Remote areas have no structural fire protection.
Haines Volunteer Fire Department (non-emergency)
(907) 766-6441- Haines Borough Police Department / dispatch (non-emergency): (907) 766-6430
- Division of Forestry, Haines Area Fire Prevention (burn permits): (907) 766-2120
- Haines Borough administration: (907) 766-6400
- Haines Volunteer Fire Department, PO Box 849, Haines, AK 99827, USA (mailing)
- hainesalaska.gov/fire (Haines Volunteer Fire Department)
- Police dispatch, 315 Haines Highway: 24 hours (AKT)
Who Provides Fire Protection in Haines Borough
- Haines Volunteer Fire Department (HVFD) — in service since 1910. A 2023 borough notice describes it as a volunteer department with three paid staff, two of them certified firefighters, and a volunteer chief, and says the borough wants to move to a blended model with a paid chief. Its roster was about 33 people in January 2023. Its ambulance company answers medical calls from the townsite to the Canadian border (40 miles north), Lutak Inlet and the Chilkat Peninsula.
- Klehini Valley Volunteer Fire Department (KVVFD) — serves borough Fire Service Area No. 3: land within 2,000 feet of the Haines Highway and of Mosquito Lake, Chilkat Lake, Duckmarsh, Porcupine, Riverview and Kelsall roads. It had 13 volunteers in March 2024 and is overseen by a five-member service-area board.
Borough Fire Service Area No. 1 takes in the Haines Highway corridor to about Mile 15, Mud Bay Road, Lutak Inlet and the Chilkat Peninsula south of the townsite. The Haines Borough Police Department at 315 Haines Highway staffs dispatch around the clock; call 911 for any fire or medical emergency. Klukwan lies outside the borough: in 2024 the KVVFD chief reported that the department's insurance covers calls there but no agreement with the village had been reached. Excursion Inlet and other places off the road system have no fire department in the sources below.
Fire Departments in Haines Borough
| Department | Type | Main station | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Haines Volunteer Fire Department | Volunteer (3 paid staff, ambulance) | Haines townsite (mail: PO Box 849, Haines, AK 99827) | (907) 766-6441 |
| Klehini Valley VFD (Fire Service Area No. 3) | Volunteer | Klehini Valley Fire Hall, Mosquito Lake Rd | Not published |
Volunteer stations are not always staffed. For anything urgent, call 911 rather than a station number.
Estimated Response Time
Because the borough is huge and mostly roadless, we estimate each department only over its own area (r ≈ √(area ÷ (stations × π)), using census land area). The Haines townsite census area (13.25 square miles of land, one fire hall) gives an average distance to the station of roughly 2.0 miles; the Mosquito Lake census area in the Klehini Valley (77.17 square miles of land, one fire hall) gives roughly 5.0 miles. Both departments rely on volunteers, who must first reach the station. Along the Haines Highway between these areas, at Excursion Inlet and in the backcountry there is no estimate: remote areas have 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 10–14 minutes in the Haines townsite and 12–18 minutes around Mosquito Lake.
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 |
In the Klehini Valley water is carried by tanker, so expect the upper end of each range. Help from outside is far away: serious medical cases are flown to Bartlett Regional Hospital in Juneau, and the nearest road-connected hospital is in Whitehorse, about 4.5 hours away. In May 2019 the 8.5 Mile Fire on the Haines Highway destroyed a home and spread to about five acres of State Forest land; the Haines department fought it until a 20-person U.S. Forest Service crew took over, with a contract helicopter dropping water. Haines Airport averages about 164 inches of snow a year, and snow and ice can close the Chilkat Pass section of the highway.
Apparatus & Equipment
- Ambulances, Haines VFD (front-line and backup)
- 2
- Used pumper/tanker bought for KVVFD (2019, up to $159,000)
- 1
Full fleet lists are not published. In 2024 KVVFD reported its trucks in good shape and was looking for a new tanker; HVFD's wish list includes replacing the backup ambulance and, in the long term, a new fire hall.
- Structural fire
- Ambulance (EMS)
- Tanker water supply
- Wildland initial attack
Services & Community Programs
- Ambulance: HVFD reported 395 ambulance calls and 42 fire calls for 2022 and over 4,100 volunteer hours (a borough notice lists 353 ambulance and 34 fire calls for 2022).
- Volunteering: both departments say they are short of volunteers; HVFD planned a junior firefighter program with high-school students. Call (907) 766-6441.
- Dispatch: Haines Borough Police Department, non-emergency (907) 766-6430.
Ratings & Accreditation
Fire Service Area No. 3 (Klehini Valley): ISO Public Protection Classification SB/10, cited by the borough in 2019. The ISO rating for the Haines townsite is not published.
Outdoor burning: The Alaska Division of Forestry requires burn permits from April 1 to 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; any burning of woody debris needs a large-scale permit. Campfires under 3 feet across need no permit. Haines Area Fire Prevention: (907) 766-2120.
Neighboring Boroughs
- Municipality of Skagway Borough, AK (northeast)
- City and Borough of Juneau, AK (southeast)
- Hoonah-Angoon Census Area, AK (south and west)
- Stikine Region, British Columbia, Canada (northwest and east)
FAQ
What is the non-emergency number for fire in Haines Borough?
Haines Volunteer Fire Department: (907) 766-6441. Haines Borough Police Department dispatch (non-emergency): (907) 766-6430. For any fire or medical emergency, always call 911.
Which fire departments serve Haines Borough?
Two volunteer departments: the Haines Volunteer Fire Department, which covers the Haines townsite and runs the ambulance, and the Klehini Valley Volunteer Fire Department in Fire Service Area No. 3 around Mosquito Lake. Remote areas off the road system have no structural fire protection.
Who provides the ambulance in Haines?
The Haines Volunteer Fire Department's ambulance company responds from the townsite to the Canadian border, about 40 miles north, and to Lutak Inlet and the Chilkat Peninsula. Serious cases are flown to Bartlett Regional Hospital in Juneau.
How fast does the fire department respond in Haines Borough?
About 10–14 minutes for the first unit in the Haines townsite and about 12–18 minutes around Mosquito Lake in the Klehini Valley. There is no estimate for remote areas, which have no structural fire protection.
Do I need a burn permit in Haines Borough?
Yes, from April 1 to August 31. Burn barrels, lawns and small brush piles need a Division of Forestry small-scale permit; burning woody debris needs a large-scale permit. Haines Area Fire Prevention: (907) 766-2120. Campfires under 3 feet across need no permit.
Last verified:
- Haines Borough — Haines Volunteer Fire Department (mailing address, phone, membership)
- Haines Borough — HVFD procurement notice (2023) (since 1910, paid staff, ambulance area, 2022 calls)
- Haines Borough Code 7.08.010 — Fire Service Area No. 1
- Haines Borough Code 7.08.030 — Fire Service Area No. 3 (boundaries, board)
- Haines Borough — FSA #3 board meeting notice (Klehini Valley Fire Hall, Mosquito Lake Rd)
- Haines Borough — KVVFD board minutes (March 2024) (13 volunteers, tanker, Klukwan)
- Haines Borough — Resolution 19-03-799, KVVFD truck (pumper/tanker, ISO SB/10)
- Alaska Division of Fire and Life Safety — Fire Department Directory (2025) (Haines VFD)
- Alaska Division of Forestry & Fire Protection — Burn Permits
- Alaska Division of Forestry & Fire Protection — Haines Area burn permits
- JEDC — Haines Borough Police Department listing (address, phone, 24-hour dispatch)
- KHNS — New Year, New Staff, and Volunteer Recruitment at HVFD (2023)
- Alaska Public Media — 8.5 Mile Fire (2019)
- Wikipedia — Haines Borough, Alaska (2020 population, area, neighbors)
- Wikipedia — Haines, Alaska (land area, hospital access, snowfall)
- Wikipedia — Mosquito Lake, Alaska (land area)