The City and Borough of Wrangell, Alaska (pop. 2,127) covers 2,556 square miles of land around the mouth of the Stikine River, but organized fire protection is centered on Wrangell Island's road system. The Wrangell Volunteer Fire Department, with one full-time firefighter and a part-time chief, handles fire, ambulance and search and rescue from the Public Safety Building on Zimovia Highway. Meyers Chuck, reachable only by boat or floatplane, has a registered volunteer fire department. Remote areas have no structural fire protection.
Wrangell Volunteer Fire Department (non-emergency)
(907) 874-3223- Wrangell Police Department: (907) 874-3304
- City and Borough of Wrangell, City Hall: (907) 874-2381
- Alaska Division of Forestry & Fire Protection (burn permits, Anchorage): (907) 269-8400
- Public Safety Building, 431 Zimovia Hwy, Wrangell, AK 99929, USA (mail: PO Box 794)
- wrangell.com/publicsafety (Wrangell Fire Department)
- City Hall, 205 Brueger St: Mon–Fri 8:00–16:00 (AKT)
Who Provides Fire Protection in the City and Borough of Wrangell
- Wrangell Volunteer Fire Department (WVFD) — the borough's fire department. The city's fire page lists 36 active volunteers plus reserve members, one full-time firefighter and a part-time fire chief, with 15 EMT-1s, 10 EMT-2s and 7 ETTs. Its members run the fire department, emergency medical services (ambulance) and search and rescue for Wrangell and the central Southeast region, answering more than 320 calls a year. The chief's job covers fire suppression and prevention, EMS, hazardous materials, marine and harbor facilities and disaster planning.
- Meyers Chuck Volunteer Fire Department — registered with the State Fire Marshal (FDID 19401), but the directory lists no chief, phone or address. Meyers Chuck had 21 residents in 2000 and was annexed into the borough on June 1, 2008.
Borough code says the fire department is not required to respond to fires outside the borough/state-maintained road system on Wrangell Island unless it is contractually obliged to; it may respond to search and rescue inside or outside the borough. Volunteers are called out by the station siren. In 2024 the borough advertised the chief's post as part-time, and in early 2025 it recruited a full-time Fire & EMS Administrator. Call 911 for any fire or medical emergency.
Fire Departments in the City and Borough of Wrangell
| Department | Type | Main station | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wrangell Volunteer Fire Department | Volunteer (1 full-time firefighter, ambulance, SAR) | Public Safety Building, 431 Zimovia Hwy, Wrangell, AK 99929 | (907) 874-3223 |
| Meyers Chuck VFD | Volunteer | Meyers Chuck, AK 99903 (station not published) | 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 only over each department's own area (r ≈ √(area ÷ (stations × π)), using census land area). The former City of Wrangell limits (45.28 square miles of land in the 2000 census, one fire station) give an average distance to the station of roughly 3.8 miles; addresses downtown, near the Public Safety Building, are much closer. Crews are mostly volunteers who must first reach the station. Meyers Chuck's response is limited to the village itself; along the far end of the Zimovia Highway (about 14 miles long), on the mainland 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 12–18 minutes across the former city limits, toward the lower end downtown and longer farther out the Zimovia Highway.
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 |
Wrangell has no road link to the mainland (access is by Alaska Marine Highway ferry or by air), so outside help is far away. On September 15, 2026, the fire department worked almost nine hours on a fire in the Marine Bar building on Shakes Street, near the downtown harbor, which also held a pizza restaurant and apartments; much of the roof collapsed and no one was hurt. In the early 1950s a fire burned much of downtown. Wrangell Medical Center (SEARHC) is a 22-bed critical access hospital. The town averages about 91 inches of precipitation a year.
Apparatus & Equipment
- Hose lines on the Marine Bar fire, mid-morning (September 2026)
- 3
A fleet list is not published. The city says members use borough equipment as well as their own boats and planes on emergency calls.
- Structural fire
- Ambulance (EMS)
- Search and rescue
- Boat and dive rescue
- Hazmat
Services & Community Programs
- Ambulance: WVFD provides emergency medical response by ambulance and helps with transport to Wrangell Medical Center and with fall assists.
- Search and rescue: Wrangell Search and Rescue, recognized by the Coast Guard and State Troopers, responds by boat, air, dive team or mountain rescue.
- Training: members train three nights a month; volunteer instructors teach first aid, CPR and EMT classes to members, residents and outlying communities.
- Fireworks: trained members design and run the Fourth of July display. The nonprofit Wrangell Firefighters Association raises funds for fire, ambulance and SAR.
Ratings & Accreditation
ISO Public Protection Classification ratings for the City and Borough of Wrangell are 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; larger woody debris needs a large-scale permit. Campfires under 3 feet across need no permit. For the Tongass National Forest fire area, the Division lists (907) 269-8400. Check local rules with the fire department, (907) 874-3223.
Neighboring Boroughs
- Petersburg Borough, AK (north and west)
- Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area, AK (southwest)
- Ketchikan Gateway Borough, AK (south)
- Regional District of Kitimat-Stikine, British Columbia, Canada (east)
FAQ
What is the non-emergency number for fire in the City and Borough of Wrangell?
Wrangell Volunteer Fire Department: (907) 874-3223. Wrangell Police Department: (907) 874-3304. For any fire or medical emergency, always call 911.
Which fire departments serve the City and Borough of Wrangell?
The Wrangell Volunteer Fire Department, which covers the Wrangell Island road system and also runs the ambulance and search and rescue, and the Meyers Chuck Volunteer Fire Department, registered with the state for the boat- and floatplane-only community of Meyers Chuck. Remote areas have no structural fire protection.
Does Wrangell have a full-time fire department?
No. The Wrangell Volunteer Fire Department lists 36 active volunteers, one full-time firefighter and a part-time fire chief. Volunteers are called out by the station siren.
How fast does the fire department respond in the City and Borough of Wrangell?
About 12–18 minutes for the first unit across the former city limits, toward the lower end downtown and longer farther out the Zimovia Highway. There is no estimate for remote areas, which have no structural fire protection.
Do I need a burn permit in the City and Borough of Wrangell?
Yes, from April 1 to August 31. Burn barrels, lawns and small brush piles need an Alaska Division of Forestry small-scale permit; larger woody debris needs a large-scale permit. Campfires under 3 feet across need no permit. Questions: (907) 269-8400.
Last verified:
- City and Borough of Wrangell — Welcome to the Wrangell Fire Department (staffing, EMTs, calls, SAR, training)
- City and Borough of Wrangell — Fire Department contact information (phones, PO Box, police address, City Hall)
- City and Borough of Wrangell — Directory of Borough Services (Public Service Building, Zimovia Hwy)
- City and Borough of Wrangell — Fire Chief job posting (2024) (part-time, duties)
- City and Borough of Wrangell — Fire & EMS Administrator posting (2025)
- Wrangell Municipal Code, Chapter 3.24 — Fire Department (road-system response, SAR)
- Alaska Division of Fire and Life Safety — Fire Department Registration and Directory (Wrangell VFD 15100, Meyers Chuck VFD 19401; directories of Feb. 19 and Sept. 22, 2026)
- Alaska Division of Forestry & Fire Protection — Burn Permits
- Alaska Division of Forestry & Fire Protection — Tongass National Forest fire area (phone)
- JEDC — Wrangell Volunteer Fire Department listing (431 Zimovia Hwy, ambulance services)
- Anchorage Daily News — Wrangell building suffers extensive damage in fire (2026)
- KSTK — copy of the Wrangell Fire Department page (2014)
- Wikipedia — City and Borough of Wrangell, Alaska (2020 population, land area, neighbors)
- Wikipedia — Wrangell, Alaska (former city land area, Zimovia Highway, hospital, access, precipitation, 1950s fire)
- Wikipedia — Meyers Chuck, Wrangell (population 2000, annexation, access)