Fire District and Insurance Information

The Big Sky Fire Department (BSFD) is a full-service, all-hazard emergency response agency serving an 80-square-mile district across Gallatin and Madison Counties. Our organization is comprised of four operational divisions—Operations, Community Risk Reduction, Wildfire, and Administration—working together to protect one of Montana’s most dynamic and rapidly growing communities.

BSFD is staffed by 30 career Firefighter/Paramedics providing 24/7 structural and wildland fire suppression, technical rescue, and advanced life support (ALS) ambulance services. During wildfire season, our capabilities expand with a 10-person seasonal wildland crew, significantly enhancing our wildfire mitigation, preparedness, and initial attack capacity.

We respond to approximately 1,500 calls for service each year, supporting residents, visitors, and local businesses with rapid, professional, and compassionate emergency service.

In addition to emergency response, BSFD delivers proactive community risk reduction programs, fire prevention and code enforcement, public education, and strategic wildfire mitigation initiatives through our dedicated divisions.

BSFD remains committed to delivering exceptional service, strengthening community resilience, and providing the highest standard of care throughout the Big Sky region.

IN EMERGENCIES, CALL 911

Alarm monitoring companies should be directed to call Gallatin County 911 at 406-582-2100 to request a response from BSFD.  For non-emergency information, BSFD can be reached during normal business hours at 406-995-2100.

Station Locations

Station 1 (Meadow Station) – Staffed 24/7/365

• 650 Rainbow Trout Run in Gallatin County
• (Lat/Lon: +45° 15′ 32.83″, -111° 18′ 43.85″)

Station 2 (Mountain Station) – Staffed 24/7/365

• 9091 Lone Mountain Trail in Madison County
• (Lat/Lon: +45° 17′ 33.48″, -111° 23′ 40.94″)

INSURANCE INQUIRIES

For insurance-related questions regarding distance to fire stations, fire hydrants, and water supply, please use the interactive map below. This tool allows residents, property owners, and insurance carriers to view hydrant locations and station placement within the Big Sky Fire District.

To use the map:

• Zoom in using the + button to display the fire hydrant layer.

• Open the legend in the lower right corner.

• Check or uncheck the available layers to show or hide hydrants, station locations, and other map features.

Please note that BSFD does not provide official determinations of response times or exact travel distances from any station. Topography, weather conditions, roadway access, and seasonal variations can significantly influence actual response routes and times throughout the Big Sky region.

This map is intended as a general reference resource only.

ISO Classification

BSFD has been given an Insurance Services Office (ISO) Class 4/4X, which means that homes located in-district, within 5 road miles of either of the above stations and having fire hydrants or BSFD approved fill sites in their subdivision have a Class 4 rating for property insurance underwriting purposes.

Portions of the Big Sky area have water supplies and hydrants that are maintained by the Big Sky Water and Sewer District (406-995-2660).  Questions regarding hydrant locations and their capacities can be directed to them.  Many homeowner associations (HOAs) also maintain their own private water systems with hydrants.  Specific information regarding them should directed to the HOA (there are over 100 HOAs in Big Sky so that information is site specific).

In-District subdivisions/properties beyond 5 miles or those within 5 miles that do not have fire hydrants have a Class 4X rating.

Out-of-district properties have a Class 10 rating (no recognized fire protection) as they are not within the district boundaries and have no fire service protection (see next section).

Non-Resident Landowners Voting in District Elections

Click here for more information.

Wildfire Risk To the District

Properties Covered By BSFD

While many properties and subdivisions in the Big Sky area have met BSFD requirements and sought annexation into the District, there remain a number of properties that are not in-district.  Only properties that pay BSFD property taxes are in-district. BSFD reserves the right to not respond out of the district.  Responses will only be done if BSFD resources are available and the District will not guarantee that a response will be made.  Responses made out-of-district may be subject to having to pay BSFD for services rendered.

To determine if your property is in-district in Gallatin County, go to the Gallatin County Treasurer’s website (Gallatin County Tax Search) and enter your address in the search engine.  An example page is shown below with a red circle around the “BSF” that is only present if the property is within the Big Sky Fire District.

In Madison County, if you are in Levy District “52 Out – Gallatin Fire”, you are within the BSF District.  Individual properties can be checked by accessing the Madison County Treasurer’s website (Madison County Tax Search) and entering your address into the search engine.  An example page is shown below with a red circle around the “52OUT-GF” which indicates that the property is within the Big Sky Fire District.