Lake and Peninsula Borough, Alaska (pop. 1,476) spreads over 23,652 square miles of mostly roadless land, from Lake Clark and Iliamna Lake down the Alaska Peninsula to the Chignik villages and Perryville. Fire protection is village-based and volunteer: the state fire department directory lists 15 departments, including Iliamna, Newhalen, Nondalton, Port Alsworth, Egegik, Pilot Point and Port Heiden. Alaska State Troopers work from posts in Iliamna and King Salmon. Outside the villages there is no structural fire protection.
Alaska State Troopers, Iliamna (non-emergency)
(907) 571-1871- Alaska State Troopers, King Salmon (Alaska Peninsula): (907) 246-3346
- BBNA Village Public Safety Officer (VPSO) Program, Dillingham: (907) 842-5257
- Lake and Peninsula Borough office (not an emergency line): (907) 246-3421
- Lake and Peninsula Borough, PO Box 495, King Salmon, AK 99613, USA (the borough seat lies just outside the borough)
- lakeandpen.com (Lake and Peninsula Borough)
- Village fire departments are volunteer; office hours are not published
Who Provides Fire Protection in Lake and Peninsula Borough
- Lake Iliamna and Lake Clark villages — volunteer fire departments in Iliamna, Newhalen, Nondalton, Port Alsworth, Pedro Bay, Igiugig and Levelock, plus the Kokhanok Village Council, which is registered with the state as Kokhanok's fire agency.
- Alaska Peninsula villages — volunteer fire departments in Egegik, Pilot Point, Port Heiden, Chignik Bay, Chignik Lagoon, Chignik Lake and Perryville.
- Port Alsworth Volunteer Fire Department — formed in 2016 with 16 volunteers and a fire truck bought with grants written by the Port Alsworth Improvement Corporation, the nonprofit that stands in for local government in this community on Lake Clark.
The borough itself publishes no fire, 911 or dispatch service. Alaska State Troopers serve the area from posts in Iliamna and King Salmon, and the Bristol Bay Native Association runs a Village Public Safety Officer program; its 2022 regional guide lists a village public safety, fire and search and rescue line in Pilot Point. We found no fire department listed for Ivanof Bay, Ugashik or Pope-Vannoy Landing. Several departments have no published phone number, so call 911 in any emergency.
Fire Departments in Lake and Peninsula Borough
| Department | Type | Mailing address | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iliamna VFD | Volunteer | PO Box 286, Iliamna, AK 99606 | (907) 571-1246 |
| Newhalen VFD | Volunteer | PO Box 165, Newhalen, AK 99606 | (907) 571-3139 |
| Nondalton VFD | Volunteer | Nondalton, AK 99640 | Not published |
| Port Alsworth VFD | Volunteer | 1 Flight Line Rd, Port Alsworth, AK 99653 | Not published |
| Pedro Bay VFD | Volunteer | PO Box 47020, Pedro Bay, AK 99647 | (907) 850-2225 |
| Kokhanok Village Council | Village (volunteer) | PO Box 1007, Kokhanok, AK 99606 | (907) 282-2202 |
| Igiugig VFD | Volunteer | PO Box 4008, Igiugig, AK 99613 | (907) 533-3211 |
| Levelock VFD | Volunteer | Levelock, AK 99625 | Not published |
| Egegik VFD | Volunteer | PO Box 95, Egegik, AK 99579 | (907) 233-4226 |
| Pilot Point VFD | Volunteer | PO Box 430, Pilot Point, AK 99649 | (907) 797-2200 |
| Port Heiden VFD | Volunteer | PO Box 49050, Port Heiden, AK 99549 | Not published |
| Chignik Bay VFD | Volunteer | PO Box 56, Chignik, AK 99564 | Not published |
| Chignik Lagoon VFD | Volunteer | PO Box 09, Chignik Lagoon, AK 99565 | (907) 840-2281 |
| Chignik Lake VFD | Volunteer | Chignik Lake, AK 99548 | Not published |
| Perryville VFD | Volunteer | Perryville, AK 99648 | Not published |
Volunteer departments are not staffed around the clock, and some phone numbers may reach a village office. For anything urgent, call 911 rather than a department number.
Estimated Response Time
Because the borough is huge and mostly roadless, we estimate response only inside each department's own community, using the average station radius r ≈ √(area ÷ (stations × π)). Station counts are not published, so we assume one station per department. Newhalen's 6.0 square miles of land give an average radius of roughly 1.4 miles; Iliamna, which borders Newhalen on the north shore of Iliamna Lake, covers 37.2 square miles, roughly 3.4 miles, though most homes sit much closer. Volunteers must first reach the station. The villages are off Alaska's road network (Nondalton's planned bridge over the Newhalen River was never completed), so each department's response is limited to its own village (no estimate for outside areas), and 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 8–12 minutes in Newhalen and 12–18 minutes across the wider Iliamna area; in the other villages, it depends on local volunteers being available.
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 tundra fire | 2–12+ hours |
With no outside help by road, expect the upper end of each range. In December 2018, a house fire in Kokhanok, which had no official fire department at the time, was fought for about five hours by around 15 ad hoc volunteers; they drew water from the city's main hydrant and, when the tank ran low, pumped straight from Iliamna Lake. No one was hurt, but the home was destroyed. Before Port Alsworth formed its department in 2016, residents fought fires with small trash pumps and bucket brigades.
Apparatus & Equipment
- Port Alsworth VFD fire truck (grant-funded, 2016)
- 1
The village departments do not publish fleet lists. In Kokhanok, volunteers have used the community hydrant and lake water.
- Fire suppression
- Lake drafting
- Village first responders
- VPSO
Services & Community Programs
- Village Public Safety Officers: the Bristol Bay Native Association VPSO Program, Dillingham, (907) 842-5257; Pilot Point's village public safety, fire and search and rescue line is listed as (907) 797-2275.
- Alaska State Troopers: Iliamna (907) 571-1871; King Salmon (907) 246-3346.
- Volunteer firefighting: contact your village council or local department; all 15 rely on volunteers.
Ratings & Accreditation
ISO Public Protection Classification ratings for Lake and Peninsula Borough's fire departments are not published.
Outdoor burning: The Alaska Division of Forestry & Fire Protection requires burn permits from April 1 to August 31, statewide unless a stricter local or federal permit applies. A small-scale permit covers burn barrels, maintained lawns under 1 acre and brush piles up to 10 feet across and 4 feet high; larger burns need a large-scale permit. Campfires under 3 feet across need no permit. Apply online by choosing your area on the state burn-permit site, or call (907) 269-8400.
Neighboring Boroughs & Census Areas
- Bethel Census Area, AK (north)
- Kenai Peninsula Borough, AK (east)
- Kodiak Island Borough, AK (southeast)
- Aleutians East Borough, AK (southwest)
- Bristol Bay Borough, AK (west)
- Dillingham Census Area, AK (west)
FAQ
What is the non-emergency number for fire in Lake and Peninsula Borough?
The borough has no central fire line. Alaska State Troopers answer in Iliamna at (907) 571-1871 and in King Salmon at (907) 246-3346. For any fire or medical emergency, always call 911.
Which fire departments serve Lake and Peninsula Borough?
The state directory lists 15 volunteer departments: Iliamna, Newhalen, Nondalton, Port Alsworth, Pedro Bay, Kokhanok (Village Council), Igiugig, Levelock, Egegik, Pilot Point, Port Heiden, Chignik Bay, Chignik Lagoon, Chignik Lake and Perryville. Land outside the villages has no structural fire protection.
Does Port Alsworth have a fire department?
Yes. Port Alsworth formed its first volunteer fire department in 2016 with 16 volunteers and a fire truck paid for with grants written by the Port Alsworth Improvement Corporation.
How fast does the fire department respond in Lake and Peninsula Borough?
About 8–12 minutes for the first unit in Newhalen and 12–18 minutes across the wider Iliamna area. In the other villages, response is limited to the village itself and depends on local volunteers.
Do I need a burn permit in Lake and Peninsula Borough?
From April 1 to August 31, Alaska requires a Division of Forestry burn permit for burn barrels, lawn burning and brush piles; campfires under 3 feet across are exempt. Apply online or call (907) 269-8400.
Last verified:
- Alaska Division of Fire and Life Safety — Fire Department Registration and Directory
- Alaska Fire Department/Agency Contact Information (September 22, 2026, PDF) (15 departments, FDIDs, mailing addresses, phones; unchanged from the February 19, 2026 edition)
- Alaska Division of Forestry & Fire Protection — Burn Permits (season, permit types, phone)
- Lake and Peninsula Borough (office address and phone; no public safety service published)
- Bristol Bay Native Association — Regional Reference Guide (2022) (Troopers, VPSO program, Pilot Point public safety line)
- KDLG — Volunteer fire department in Port Alsworth takes shape (2016)
- KDLG — No injuries in Kokhanok house fire (2018)
- Wikipedia — Lake and Peninsula Borough, Alaska (2020 population, land area, communities, neighbors)
- Wikipedia — Iliamna, Alaska (land area)
- Wikipedia — Newhalen, Alaska (land area)
- Wikipedia — Nondalton, Alaska (Newhalen River bridge never completed)