Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area, Alaska (pop. 5,753) covers 3,923 square miles of land in southern Southeast Alaska: Prince of Wales Island, Annette Island, Kake, Port Alexander and Hyder. Sixteen fire departments, almost all volunteer, protect its towns and villages, led by Craig Emergency Services, the Metlakatla volunteer fire/EMS service and the Klawock and Thorne Bay volunteer departments. Each covers only its own community; outside them there is no structural fire protection.
Craig Emergency Services (non-emergency)
(907) 826-4857- City of Craig (city office): (907) 826-3275
- City of Klawock (city office): (907) 755-2261
- Thorne Bay City Hall: (907) 828-3380
- Metlakatla Indian Community: (907) 886-4441
- Craig Emergency Services, PO Box 108, Craig, AK 99921, USA (mailing)
- thornebay-ak.gov (Thorne Bay Emergency Services)
- Thorne Bay City Hall: Mon–Thu 9:00–16:00, Fri 9:00–12:00 (AKT)
Who Provides Fire Protection in Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area
- Craig Emergency Services — the City of Craig's fire and EMS service; staffing is not published.
- Metlakatla Volunteer Fire Department — volunteer fire, EMS and search and rescue run by the Metlakatla Indian Community on the Annette Island Reserve.
- Klawock and Thorne Bay — volunteer departments. Klawock has about 27 volunteer firefighters and an EMS squad of 6–8 trained volunteers; in Thorne Bay both fire and EMS are run by volunteers, and the fire chief is also the Village Public Safety Officer.
- Twelve smaller departments — Kake, Hydaburg, Coffman Cove, Port Alexander, Hyder, Kasaan, Hollis, Naukati Bay, Whale Pass, Edna Bay, Point Baker and Port Protection.
How 911 calls are routed in the census area is not published. Craig, Klawock and Metlakatla have their own police. Tribal Village Public Safety Officers (VPSOs) are posted in Kake, Hydaburg, Kasaan and Thorne Bay; the Coffman Cove post is listed as unstaffed. Hyder has no established EMS and depends on Stewart, BC, for health care and its only road. Meyers Chuck VFD is not counted: the village joined the City and Borough of Wrangell in 2008.
Fire Departments in Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area
| Department | Type | Community (pop. 2020) | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Craig Emergency Services | City fire + EMS | Craig, AK 99921 (1,036) | (907) 826-4857 |
| Metlakatla VFD | Volunteer, fire + EMS + SAR | Metlakatla, AK 99926 (1,454) | (907) 886-4441 (tribal office) |
| Klawock VFD | Volunteer (city EMS) | Klawock, AK 99925 (720) | (907) 755-2261 (city office) |
| Kake VFD | Volunteer | Kake, AK 99830 (543) | Not published |
| Thorne Bay VFD | Volunteer, fire + EMS | Thorne Bay, AK 99919 (476) | (907) 828-3380 (City Hall) |
| Hydaburg VFD | Volunteer | Hydaburg, AK 99922 (380) | (907) 285-3761 |
| Coffman Cove VFD | Volunteer | Coffman Cove, AK 99918 (127) | (907) 329-2233 |
| Port Alexander VFD | Volunteer | Port Alexander, AK 99836 (78) | (907) 568-2211 |
| Hyder VFD | Volunteer (no local EMS) | Hyder, AK 99923 (48) | Not published |
| Edna Bay VFD | Volunteer | Edna Bay, AK 99901 | (907) 594-6300 |
| Hollis VFD | Volunteer | Hollis | Not published |
| City of Kasaan VFD | Volunteer | Kasaan, AK 99950 | Not published |
| Naukati Bay VFD | Volunteer | Naukati Bay | (907) 629-4243 |
| Point Baker Volunteer Fire/Rescue Dept. | Volunteer, fire + rescue | Point Baker, AK 99927 | (907) 559-2255 |
| Port Protection VFD | Volunteer | Port Protection | (907) 489-2222 |
| Whale Pass Emergency Services | Emergency services | Whale Pass, AK 99950 | (907) 846-5222 |
Volunteer fire halls are not staffed around the clock. For anything urgent, call 911 rather than a fire hall or office.
Estimated Response Time
As the area is split by water and mostly roadless, each estimate uses only the community's own land area, assuming one fire hall: r ≈ √(land area ÷ π). Hydaburg (0.29 square miles) works out to about 0.3 miles, Klawock (0.68) to 0.5, Metlakatla (2.31) to 0.9, Port Alexander (3.50) to 1.1, Craig (6.69) to 1.5, Kake (7.67) to 1.6, Coffman Cove (10.90) to 1.9, Hyder (17.07) to 2.3 and Thorne Bay (26.67) to 2.9 miles. Volunteer turnout is assumed everywhere. Response is limited to each community; remote areas have no structural fire protection and no estimate.
| 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 Craig, Klawock, Hydaburg, Metlakatla and Port Alexander, and 10–14 minutes in Kake, Coffman Cove, Hyder and Thorne Bay.
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 |
Kake, Port Alexander and Metlakatla cannot get an engine by road from another Alaskan community, and Hyder's only road leads to Stewart, BC, so these crews must hold a fire on their own; expect the upper end of each range. Thorne Bay volunteers contained a mill fire within about half an hour of the report. In March 2021 a trailer fire in Metlakatla, started near a wood stove, killed a resident. In Port Alexander, the Pelican Cold Storage buildings burned on January 21, 1990.
Apparatus & Equipment
- Rescue unit (Thorne Bay, "EMS/Rescue 1")
- 1
No department in the census area publishes a fleet list.
- Volunteer EMS
- Search and rescue (Metlakatla)
- Rescue
- Wildland support
Ratings & Accreditation
ISO Public Protection Classification ratings are not published for any department in Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area.
Outdoor burning: The Alaska Division of Forestry & Fire Protection requires a burn permit statewide from April 1 to August 31, unless a stricter local or federal permit applies. A small-scale permit covers burn barrels, lawns under 1 acre and brush piles up to 10 feet across and 4 feet high; campfires under 3 feet need none. Ask your city or village office about local rules.
Neighboring Boroughs and Census Areas
- Petersburg Borough, AK (north)
- City and Borough of Wrangell, AK (northeast)
- Ketchikan Gateway Borough, AK
- City and Borough of Sitka, AK
- Hoonah-Angoon Census Area, AK
- Regional District of Kitimat-Stikine, British Columbia, Canada (east)
- North Coast Regional District, British Columbia, Canada (south, by water)
FAQ
What is the non-emergency number for fire in Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area?
Craig Emergency Services: (907) 826-4857. Thorne Bay City Hall: (907) 828-3380. City of Klawock: (907) 755-2261. For any fire or medical emergency, always call 911.
Which fire departments serve Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area?
Sixteen departments, led by Craig Emergency Services and the Metlakatla, Klawock, Kake and Thorne Bay volunteers, plus eleven smaller village departments. Each covers its own community; there is no area-wide fire service.
Does Hyder have a fire department?
Yes. Hyder VFD, formed in 1921, re-registered in 2023 after a 25-year absence. There is no local EMS; Hyder depends on Stewart, BC, for health care and road access.
How fast does the fire department respond in Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area?
In town, the first unit usually arrives in about 8–12 minutes in Craig, Klawock, Hydaburg, Metlakatla and Port Alexander, and 10–14 minutes in Kake, Coffman Cove, Hyder and Thorne Bay. Areas outside the communities have no structural fire protection.
Do I need a burn permit in Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area?
Yes, from April 1 to August 31 an Alaska Division of Forestry & Fire Protection permit is required unless a stricter local or federal permit applies. Small-scale permits cover burn barrels, small lawns and brush piles.
Last verified:
- Alaska Division of Fire and Life Safety — Fire Department Directory (departments, FDIDs, phones; September 22, 2026 list)
- Alaska DCCED Community Database — Public Safety layers (registrations, VPSO posts)
- City of Thorne Bay — Emergency Services (volunteers, mill fire, City Hall)
- Alaska Municipal League — City of Craig profile (2026) (Fire/EMS, police, phone)
- Alaska Municipal League — City of Klawock profile (2026) (fire, EMS, phone)
- Alaska Municipal League — Metlakatla Indian Community profile (2026) (fire/EMS/SAR, phone)
- Alaska Division of Forestry & Fire Protection — Burn Permits
- KRBD — Metlakatla man dies after fire consumes trailer home (2021)
- Alaska Public Media — Hyder residents concerned over nightly border closure (2015)
- Wikipedia — Prince of Wales–Hyder Census Area, Alaska (population, area, neighbors)
- Wikipedia — community articles (2020 population, land area; Klawock volunteers, Hyder VFD history, Port Alexander 1990 fire, Meyers Chuck annexation): Craig, Klawock, Thorne Bay, Metlakatla, Kake, Hydaburg, Coffman Cove, Port Alexander, Hyder, Meyers Chuck