Yuma County, Arizona (pop. 203,881) is protected mainly by career firefighters. The accredited Yuma Fire Department runs seven stations and its own ambulances in the county seat; San Luis, Somerton and the Town of Wellton have their own departments. Most of unincorporated Yuma County is covered by Rural Metro Fire, a membership-funded private department with six stations, across 5,514 square miles of mostly sparsely populated desert.
Yuma Fire Department (main line)
(928) 373-4850- Rural Metro Fire, Yuma County (unincorporated areas): (928) 782-4757
- Rural Metro Fire Marshal (burn permits): (928) 539-1807
- Yuma Fire Department, 1 City Plaza, Yuma, AZ 85364, USA
- yumaaz.gov/fire
- Rural Metro office: 8:00–16:00 (MST, no daylight saving)
Who Provides Fire Protection in Yuma County
- Yuma Fire Department — career, seven stations and 123 firefighters on three shifts; fire, ambulance transport, hazmat and technical rescue. It answered nearly 19,600 calls in 2025, 17,011 of them medical, and is accredited by the Commission on Fire Accreditation International.
- Rural Metro Fire, Yuma County — a non-governmental department founded in 1971, funded by memberships rather than taxes, with six stations in unincorporated Yuma County and about 15,000 responses in 2025. All its firefighters are paramedics or EMTs.
- City and town departments in San Luis (career), Somerton (Somerton Cocopah Fire Department, mostly career) and Wellton.
- Martinez Lake Fire District — a small fire district at Martinez Lake, north of Yuma.
Figures below are as reported to the USFA National Fire Department Registry unless another source is named; registry data is self-reported and may be out of date. In any emergency call 911; the call is routed by address.
Fire Departments in Yuma County
| Department | Type / stations | Personnel | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yuma Fire Department | Career, 7 | 123 firefighters | (928) 373-4850 |
| Rural Metro Fire, Yuma County | Career (private, membership), 6 | 83 career | (928) 782-4757 |
| San Luis Fire Department | Career, 1 | 49 career | (928) 341-8550 |
| Somerton Cocopah Fire Department | Mostly career, 1 | 24 career, 15 paid-per-call | (928) 722-7373 |
| Wellton Fire Department (Town of Wellton) | Municipal, 1 | Not published | (928) 785-3340 |
| Martinez Lake Fire District | Volunteer, 1 | 4 paid-per-call | Not published |
Addresses: San Luis FD, 1165 N McCain St, San Luis 85349 · Somerton Cocopah FD, 445 E Main St, Somerton 85350 · Wellton FD, 29118 Los Angeles Ave, Wellton 85356 · Rural Metro, 2029 S Arizona Ave, Yuma 85364. The registry gives Rural Metro's address and phone as Martinez Lake Fire District's contact. Yuma FD: 7 stations and 123 firefighters per the city (the registry lists 6 and 106).
Rural Metro bills non-members: fire suppression from $1,500 per hour per vehicle plus $150 per hour per firefighter, and at least $600 per medical call. Membership is optional; call 911 in any emergency.
Other fire services
- Arizona State Prison Complex – Yuma — state institution, 1 station (registry: 1 career, 4 volunteer)
- Marine Corps Air Station Yuma Fire Department — federal (military); stations not published
- Yuma Proving Ground Fire Department — federal (U.S. Army); stations not published
Estimated Response Time
Method: average station radius r ≈ √(area ÷ (stations × π)). Yuma (7 stations, 120.8 sq mi of land) averages about 2.3 miles; Somerton (1 station, 7.3 sq mi) about 1.5 miles; San Luis (1 station, 34.0 sq mi) about 3.3 miles. The rest of the county (about 5,352 sq mi, 11 residents per sq mi) has about 8 stations, roughly 14.6 miles each, so this estimate is very rough: most residents live near a station, while remote desert can be far beyond these times.
| Radius | Yuma, Somerton, San Luis (career) | Unincorporated county (rural) |
|---|---|---|
| ≤ 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 6–8 minutes in Yuma and Somerton, 8–11 minutes in San Luis, and 18+ minutes in most of the unincorporated county.
Estimated Fire Control Time
| Fire size | Example | Indicative time |
|---|---|---|
| Small | Brush 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 brush fire | 2–12+ hours |
Expect the upper end of each range far from the cities. Wildland fires on state and private land involve the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management.
Apparatus & Equipment
Recently published additions:
- Yuma FD ambulances placed in service (2023)
- 3
- Rural Metro E10 pumper (March 2026)
- 1
Yuma FD runs command vehicles, pumpers, ladder trucks, ambulances and specialized units from seven stations; full fleet counts are not published for any department. Yuma FD's Technical Rescue Team (23 members) covers trench, confined-space, rope, swift-water, palm-tree and building-collapse rescue.
- Fire suppression
- EMS transport
- Hazmat
- Technical rescue
- Swift-water rescue
- Wildland
Ratings & Accreditation
Yuma Fire Department: accredited by the Commission on Fire Accreditation International (CFAI). ISO PPC classes are not published for any Yuma County department.
Outdoor burning: In unincorporated Yuma County, Rural Metro Fire issues burn permits (2029 S Arizona Ave, (928) 782-4757; residential $15 for 30 days to $75 a year). A permit is needed for all open burning except warming, cooking, branding and firefighter-training fires, and burning is allowed only on prescribed burn days. Inside a city or town, ask that fire department first; open burning in Arizona is regulated by ADEQ.
Neighboring Counties
- La Paz County, AZ (north)
- Maricopa County, AZ (east)
- Pima County, AZ (southeast)
- San Luis Río Colorado, Sonora, Mexico (south)
- Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico (southwest)
- Imperial County, CA (west)
FAQ
What is the non-emergency number for fire in Yuma County?
Yuma Fire Department: (928) 373-4850. Rural Metro Fire (unincorporated county): (928) 782-4757. For any fire or medical emergency, always call 911.
Who fights fires outside the cities in Yuma County?
Rural Metro Fire covers unincorporated Yuma County from six stations. It responds to everyone, but non-members are billed from $1,500 per hour per vehicle for fires and at least $600 per medical call.
Is Rural Metro Fire a fire district?
No. Rural Metro Fire in Yuma County is a non-governmental department, founded in 1971 and funded by memberships rather than taxes.
How fast does the fire department respond in Yuma County?
About 6–8 minutes for the first unit in Yuma and Somerton, 8–11 minutes in San Luis, and 18 minutes or more in most of the unincorporated county.
Do I need a burn permit in Yuma County?
Yes, for most open burning. In unincorporated areas, get one from Rural Metro Fire at (928) 782-4757 or 2029 S Arizona Ave. Inside a city or town, ask that fire department first.
Last verified:
- City of Yuma — Fire Department (services, CFAI), Fire Suppression (stations, staffing, fleet types), Technical Rescue
- City of Yuma — YFD planning documents and annual reports (2023 ambulances)
- Rural Metro Fire, Yuma County (stations, history, membership, 2025 responses) and burn permit process
- Town of Wellton — Fire Department (address, phone)
- MCAS Yuma — Fire Department
- U.S. Fire Administration — National Fire Department Registry (Arizona download, retrieved October 12, 2026)
- Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management
- ADEQ — Open Burning
- Yuma Sun — Yuma Fire Department calls rose nearly 7% in 2025
- RadioReference — Yuma County (AZ) (Yuma Proving Ground FD)
- Wikipedia (citing the 2020 Census): Yuma County (population, area, neighbors), Yuma, San Luis, Somerton