Santa Cruz County, Arizona (pop. 47,669), on the Mexican border at Nogales, is protected by a combination system: the career Nogales Fire Department, three fire districts (Rio Rico Medical and Fire, Tubac, and Sonoita-Elgin) with paid crews and ambulances, and the all-volunteer Patagonia Volunteer Fire & Rescue. Together they run about 12 stations across 1,237 square miles of land, much of it grassland, canyons and Coronado National Forest.
Nogales Fire Department (county seat, headquarters)
(520) 287-6548- Rio Rico Medical and Fire District: (520) 281-8421
- Tubac Fire District: (520) 398-2255
- Sonoita-Elgin Fire District: (520) 455-5854
- Nogales Fire Department, 777 N Grand Ave, Nogales, AZ 85621, USA
- nogalesaz.gov — Fire
- Sonoita-Elgin admin window: Mon–Fri 9:00–16:00 (MST, no daylight saving)
Who Provides Fire Protection in Santa Cruz County
- Nogales Fire Department — the career department of the county seat, with 2 stations and 47 career firefighters, figures as reported to the USFA registry.
- Rio Rico Medical and Fire District — founded in 1976 as a volunteer department and a fire district since 1985; about 50 employees and 4 stations, including the former Nogales Suburban Fire District station on Highway 82. It sells open-burning permits and bills for ambulance service.
- Tubac Fire District — founded in 1974; 4 stations covering 166 square miles and about 10,000 residents in Tubac, Tumacacori, Amado and part of Rio Rico, with 8 personnel on duty daily, about 1,600 calls a year and ISO Class 4. Station 2 houses the Santa Cruz County Hazmat Response equipment.
- Sonoita-Elgin Fire District — created in 2006; serves Sonoita, Elgin, Canelo and Patagonia, with a 325-square-mile fire/EMS area and a 750-square-mile ambulance area. It lists 35 red-carded wildland firefighters.
- Patagonia Volunteer Fire & Rescue — the volunteer department under contract to the Town of Patagonia; the Town kept it after reviewing proposals in 2025.
The Nogales Suburban Fire District, east of Nogales and along part of Interstate 19, has been run by Rio Rico under an intergovernmental agreement; both boards voted unanimously on July 31, 2025 to merge it into Rio Rico. No federal, state, industrial or airport fire services in the county are listed in the USFA registry. Always call 911: the call is routed to the department that covers your address.
Fire Departments in Santa Cruz County
| Department | Type | Main station | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nogales Fire Department | Career (2 stations) | 777 N Grand Ave, Nogales, AZ 85621 | (520) 287-6548 |
| Rio Rico Medical and Fire District | Career fire district (4 stations) | 822 Pendleton Dr, Rio Rico, AZ 85648 | (520) 281-8421 |
| Nogales Suburban Fire District | Operated by Rio Rico; merger voted 2025 | 558 Hwy 82, Nogales, AZ 85628 (Rio Rico Station 4) | (520) 281-8421 |
| Tubac Fire District | Mostly career fire district (4 stations) | 2227 E Frontage Rd, Tubac, AZ 85646 | (520) 398-2255 |
| Sonoita-Elgin Fire District | Combination fire district (1 station) | 3173 Hwy 83, Sonoita, AZ 85637 | (520) 455-5854 |
| Patagonia Volunteer Fire & Rescue | Volunteer (1 station) | 127 S 3rd Ave, Patagonia, AZ 85624 | (520) 394-2936 |
Volunteer stations are not always staffed. For anything urgent, call 911 rather than a station number.
Fire District Stations
| Station | Address |
|---|---|
| Rio Rico Station 1 | 1194 Pendleton Dr, Rio Rico, AZ 85648 |
| Rio Rico Station 2 | 957 Calle Calabasas, Rio Rico, AZ 85648 |
| Rio Rico Station 3 | 822 Pendleton Dr, Rio Rico, AZ 85648 |
| Rio Rico Station 4 (ex-Nogales Suburban) | 558 Hwy 82, Nogales, AZ 85628 |
| Tubac Station 1 (admin) | 2227 E Frontage Rd, Tubac, AZ 85646 |
| Tubac Station 2 | 1360 W Frontage Rd, Rio Rico, AZ |
| Tubac Station 3 | 333 Camino Josefina, Rio Rico, AZ |
| Tubac Station 4 | 149 Ruta Camaron, Rio Rico, AZ |
Sources: Rio Rico and Tubac district websites. The address of Nogales Fire Station 2 is not published.
Estimated Response Time
Each estimate uses the average station radius, √(area ÷ (stations × π)), over that department's own area. Nogales has 2 career stations for 20.8 square miles, roughly 1.8 miles. Tubac has 4 staffed stations for 166 square miles, roughly 3.6 miles. Rio Rico's district area is not published; over the 63-square-mile Rio Rico community its three local stations give roughly 2.6 miles (very rough). Sonoita-Elgin's single station covers 325 square miles, about 10 miles, and Patagonia's volunteer station serves a 1.3-square-mile town, about 0.6 mile.
| Radius | Nogales (career) | Fire districts (combination) | Patagonia (volunteer) |
|---|---|---|---|
| ≤ 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 6–8 minutes in Nogales, 7–13 minutes in Rio Rico and the Tubac district, 13 minutes or more for much of the Sonoita-Elgin district, and 8–12 minutes inside Patagonia while volunteers reach the station.
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 grass or brush fire | 2–12+ hours |
Outside Nogales, water often comes by tender: every Tubac station and the Sonoita-Elgin district keep one. The county includes part of the Coronado National Forest and the Las Cienegas National Conservation Area, so grass and brush fires can grow large; expect the upper end of each range in the rural east. Nogales has several ports of entry, including the Mariposa port with eight commercial inspection lanes, and handles about $30 billion in trade a year.
Apparatus & Equipment
Published fleets of the Tubac and Sonoita-Elgin fire districts:
- Tubac Type I engines
- 4
- Tubac ALS/BLS ambulances
- 4
- Tubac water tenders
- 4
- Tubac Type 6 brush trucks
- 4
- Sonoita-Elgin engines
- 2
- Sonoita-Elgin Type 6 brush trucks
- 5
- Sonoita-Elgin Type 2 tender
- 1
- Sonoita-Elgin rescue unit
- 1
- Sonoita-Elgin ambulances
- 2
One Sonoita-Elgin brush truck doubles as a back-up BLS rescue unit. Fleets of Nogales, Rio Rico and Patagonia are not published.
- Fire suppression
- EMS & ambulance
- Hazmat
- Wildland
Ratings & Accreditation
Tubac Fire District: ISO PPC Class 4. Ratings for Nogales, Rio Rico, Sonoita-Elgin and Patagonia are not published.
Outdoor burning: Arizona open burning needs a permit. In the Rio Rico district, buy a 30-day residential or 15-day commercial permit from the district, (520) 281-8421. In the Tubac district, email the district's application form and check its list of banned materials (plastics, tires, used oil and more), (520) 398-2255. Elsewhere, ask your fire department, which will point you to the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) permit if needed.
Neighboring Areas
- Pima County, AZ (west and north)
- Cochise County, AZ (east)
- Sonora, Mexico (south): municipalities of Nogales, Santa Cruz and Sáric
FAQ
What is the non-emergency number for fire in Santa Cruz County?
Nogales Fire Department: (520) 287-6548. Rio Rico Medical and Fire District: (520) 281-8421. Tubac Fire District: (520) 398-2255. Sonoita-Elgin Fire District: (520) 455-5854. For any fire or medical emergency, always call 911.
Who fights fires outside Nogales?
Three fire districts (Rio Rico Medical and Fire, Tubac, and Sonoita-Elgin) and Patagonia Volunteer Fire & Rescue. Rio Rico also runs the former Nogales Suburban Fire District area east of Nogales. 911 sends the department that covers your address.
What ISO rating does the Tubac Fire District have?
The Tubac Fire District holds ISO Public Protection Classification Class 4. Ratings for the other departments are not published.
How fast does the fire department respond in Santa Cruz County?
About 6–8 minutes for the first unit in Nogales, 7–13 minutes in Rio Rico and the Tubac district, and 13 minutes or more for much of the Sonoita-Elgin district, depending on distance from the nearest station.
Do I need a burn permit in Santa Cruz County?
Yes. The Rio Rico district sells 30-day residential and 15-day commercial permits, (520) 281-8421, and the Tubac district takes applications by email, (520) 398-2255. Elsewhere, ask your fire department about the ADEQ open burning permit.
Last verified:
- U.S. Fire Administration — National Fire Department Registry (Arizona download, retrieved October 12, 2026) (departments, stations, personnel, phones)
- Rio Rico Medical and Fire District — History (founding, employees)
- Rio Rico Medical and Fire District — Station locations
- Rio Rico Medical and Fire District — Open burning permit
- Tubac Fire District (service area, population, ISO)
- Tubac Fire District — About (stations, staffing, fleet, calls)
- Tubac Fire District — Station 2 (county hazmat equipment)
- Tubac Fire District — Burn permit application
- Sonoita-Elgin Fire District (phone, communities, office hours)
- Sonoita-Elgin Fire District — History (fleet, personnel, service area)
- Nogales International — Nogales Suburban Fire to be dissolved, merged with RRFD (Aug. 6, 2025)
- Patagonia Regional Times — Weekly bulletin, June 4–10, 2025 (Town fire contract)
- Wikipedia — Santa Cruz County, Arizona (2020 Census population, land area, neighbors, protected areas)
- Wikipedia — Nogales, Arizona (land area, ports of entry)
- Wikipedia — Rio Rico, Arizona (land area)
- Wikipedia — Patagonia, Arizona (land area)