Madison County, Alabama (pop. 388,153) has a combination fire system. Huntsville Fire & Rescue, rated ISO Class 1, runs 20 career stations with 395 personnel, and Madison Fire & Rescue, also ISO Class 1, staffs four career stations. Seventeen volunteer fire departments, from Hazel Green and Harvest to Gurley and New Hope, protect the rest of the county's 802 square miles of land. Madison County 911 dispatches emergencies.
Madison County 911 (non-emergency line)
(256) 722-7140- Huntsville Fire & Rescue office: (256) 427-7401
- Huntsville Fire Marshal / Bureau of Fire Prevention: (256) 427-5150
- Madison Fire & Rescue (Station 1, administration): (256) 772-3326
- Huntsville-Madison County Emergency Management Agency: (256) 427-5130
- Huntsville Fire & Rescue office, 2110 Clinton Ave W, Huntsville, AL 35805, USA
- huntsvilleal.gov/fire-rescue-department
- HFR office: Mon–Fri 8:00–17:00 (CT)
Who Provides Fire Protection in Madison County
- Huntsville Fire & Rescue — career, 395 personnel, staffed 24/7 from 20 stations, plus a Special Operations Division (hazmat, technical rescue). ISO Class 1, renewed April 2025.
- Madison Fire & Rescue — career (founded 1962), four stations, ISO Class 1. Staff numbers not published.
- 17 volunteer fire departments cover the unincorporated county and the towns of Gurley, New Hope, Owens Cross Roads and Triana; member numbers not published.
Redstone Arsenal is a federal installation and is not covered here. Madison County 911 takes about 216,000 calls a year for eight agencies and sends the right department by address.
Fire Departments in Madison County
| Department | Type | Main station | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Huntsville Fire & Rescue | Career (20 stations) | 2110 Clinton Ave W, Huntsville 35805 | (256) 427-7401 |
| Madison Fire & Rescue | Career (4 stations) | 101 Mill Rd, Madison 35758 | (256) 772-3326 |
Volunteer fire departments
| Department | Main station | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| Big Cove VFD | 251 Sutton Rd, Owens Cross Roads 35763 | (256) 518-9258 |
| Bobo VFD | 7982 Old Railroad Bed Rd, Ardmore 35739 | (256) 420-2909 |
| Central VFD | 3179 Maysville Rd, Ryland 35767 | (256) 776-9569 |
| Green Mountain VFD | 13013 S Shawdee Rd, Huntsville 35803 | (256) 883-5802 |
| Gurley VFD | 235 Walker St, Gurley 35748 | (256) 947-1049 |
| Harvest VFD | 9109 Wall Triana, Harvest 35749 | (256) 837-5080 |
| Hazel Green VFD | 121 Joe Quick Rd, Hazel Green 35750 | (256) 828-0248 |
| Keel Mountain VFD | 2171 Keel Mountain Rd, Gurley 35748 | (256) 776-4096 |
| Killingsworth Cove VFD | 876 Killingsworth Cove Rd, Gurley 35748 | (256) 776-1001 |
| Meridianville VFD | 464 Patterson, Meridianville 35759 | (256) 828-9623 |
| Monrovia VFD | 345 Mt Zion Rd, Huntsville 35757 | (256) 837-6730 |
| Moore's Mill VFD | 7416 Moores Mill Rd, Huntsville 35811 | (256) 859-6350 |
| New Hope VFD | 211 Washington St, New Hope 35760 | (256) 723-2616 |
| New Market VFD | 146 Jacks Rd, New Market 35761 | (256) 379-3100 |
| Owens Cross Roads VFD | 1196 Cave Springs Rd, Owens Cross Roads 35763 | (256) 725-5206 |
| Toney VFD | 198 High Dr, Toney 35773 | (256) 852-5007 |
| Triana VFD | 640 Sixth St, Triana 35756 | (256) 772-0151 |
Volunteer stations are not always staffed; call 911 for emergencies. Green Mountain VFD lists the same address as Huntsville Fire Station 13.
Huntsville and Madison Stations
- Huntsville: 1, 2110 Clinton Ave · 2, 2002 Lee High Dr · 3, 2309 Jordan Ln · 4, 911 Monte Sano Blvd · 5, 2503 University Dr · 6, 2810 Drake Ave · 7, 2930 Green Cove Rd · 8, 4012 Memorial Pkwy · 9, 7200 Hickory Hill Ln · 10, 5006 Pulaski Pk · 11, 530 Martin Rd · 12, 305 Wynn Dr · 13, 13013 S Shawdee Rd · 14, 817 Mountain Gap Rd · 15, 4801 Sparkman Dr · 16, 150 Jeff Rd · 17, 295 Old Hwy 431 · 18, 6535 Greenbrier Rd · 19, 2455 Old Big Cove Rd · 20, 13175 Burgreen Rd, Madison (opened 2024).
- Madison: 1, 101 Mill Rd · 2, 1115 Hughes Rd · 3, 12266 County Line Rd · 4, 230 Business Park Blvd.
Estimated Response Time
Huntsville (223.6 sq mi of land, 20 stations) and Madison (30.6 sq mi, 4 stations) give a radius of about 1.8 miles per staffed station. The other ~550 sq mi (mostly rural; county-wide 484 residents per sq mi) have about 16 volunteer stations, roughly 3.3 miles each, and volunteers must first reach the station.
| Radius | Huntsville & Madison (career) | Rest of county (volunteer) |
|---|---|---|
| ≤ 1.5 mi | 4–6 min | 8–12 min |
| 1.5–3 mi | 6–8 min | 10–14 min |
| 3–6 mi | 8–11 min | 12–18 min |
| > 6 mi | 11+ min | 18+ min |
Typical expectation: about 5–8 minutes in most of Huntsville and Madison and 10–18 minutes in rural areas.
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 |
City fires tend toward the lower end (hydrants, ladders, heavy rescue). Rural crews often shuttle water by tanker; woodland fires involve the Alabama Forestry Commission.
Apparatus & Equipment
Huntsville Fire & Rescue (companies staffed on a typical day):
- Engine companies
- 20
- Ladder trucks
- 5
- Rescue trucks
- 4
Huntsville also fields special operations units for hazmat and technical rescue. Madison Fire & Rescue lists four E-One engines (2017–2024), a 2017 E-One HP ladder, a heavy rescue and three squads. Volunteer fleets are not published.
- Fire suppression
- Hazmat
- Technical rescue
- Heavy rescue
- Wildland
Ratings & Accreditation
ISO PPC: Huntsville Fire & Rescue Class 1 (renewed 2025) and Madison Fire & Rescue Class 1. Ratings for the volunteer districts are not published.
Outdoor burning: Huntsville does not allow open burning without a permit; call the Bureau of Fire Prevention at (256) 427-5150. In Madison, permits come from the Fire Marshal's Office, (256) 461-1625. Elsewhere, an Alabama Forestry Commission permit, (800) 392-5679, is required for burns larger than ¼ acre; drought no-burn orders may apply.
Neighboring Counties
- Lincoln County, TN (north)
- Franklin County, TN (northeast)
- Jackson County, AL (east)
- Marshall County, AL (southeast)
- Morgan County, AL (southwest)
- Limestone County, AL (west)
FAQ
What is the non-emergency number for fire in Madison County?
Madison County 911 non-emergency: (256) 722-7140. Huntsville Fire & Rescue office: (256) 427-7401; Madison Fire & Rescue: (256) 772-3326. For any emergency, always call 911.
Who fights fires outside Huntsville and Madison?
Seventeen volunteer departments, from Bobo and Hazel Green in the north to Big Cove and New Hope in the south. 911 dispatches the right one based on your address.
What ISO rating do Huntsville and Madison have?
Both Huntsville Fire & Rescue and Madison Fire & Rescue hold ISO Public Protection Classification Class 1, the highest possible rating.
How fast does the fire department respond in Madison County?
About 5–8 minutes for the first unit in most of Huntsville and Madison and about 10–18 minutes in rural areas, depending on distance from the nearest volunteer station.
Do I need a burn permit in Madison County?
In Huntsville, call the Bureau of Fire Prevention at (256) 427-5150; in Madison, the Fire Marshal's Office at (256) 461-1625. Elsewhere, burns larger than ¼ acre need an Alabama Forestry Commission permit from (800) 392-5679.
Last verified:
- City of Huntsville — Fire & Rescue Department
- City of Huntsville — Fire station locations
- City of Huntsville — Renewed ISO 1 rating (2025)
- City of Huntsville — Open burning notice
- City of Madison — Fire & Rescue (ISO, phone)
- City of Madison — Fire station locations
- City of Madison — Fire apparatus
- City of Madison — Open burning regulations
- Madison County 911
- Alabama 911 Board — Emergency Communications Districts
- Huntsville-Madison County EMA — Who We Are
- Alabama Forestry Commission — Volunteer Fire Departments (August 2025) (addresses, phones)
- Alabama Forestry Commission — Burn Permits
- Wikipedia — Madison County, Alabama (population, area, neighbors)
- Wikipedia — Huntsville, Alabama (land area)
- Wikipedia — Madison, Alabama (land area)