In October 2008, the residents of Big Lake Fire Service Area (FSA) and Meadow Lakes FSA formally merged to become West Lakes Fire Service Area. 

Big Lake Fire Department History 

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The Big Lake Fire Department began in the late 1960's thru the mid 1980's with the establishment of the informal Big Lake Fire Auxiliary. The Auxiliary was made up of a group of local full-time and part-time property owners who banded together to provide some type of fire response after several cabins burned down in the community.

1981

In 1981 there were eight, separate volunteer fire departments in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough. None were able to provide protection for the community of Meadow Lakes.  This fact had been brought to everyone's attention on numerous occasions where homes and property were destroyed and might have been saved had there been a community fire department. For example, in 1977, the Rainbow Lake Lounge burned to the ground while fire apparatus from another department was forced to sit a few feet away. Borough policy prohibited departments from responding beyond FSA boundaries unless mutual aid agreements were enacted, or lives were in imminent danger. By the end of 1981, the seed had been planted and community members decided it was time to get organized and provide itself with a local fire department.