Fire protection in Lincoln County is provided by five (5) volunteer fire departments and one (1) paid agency. The Lincolnton Fire department is governed by the city manager with a budget set by the mayor and city council. All departments and firefighters are members of the Lincoln county firefighters association which serves as the liaison between each fire district and the county board of commissioners.

The 5 volunteer departments serving Lincoln County are as follows:
City of Lincolnton
Midway
Beulah
Loco
Martins Crossroads

The Lincoln County Department of Public Safety augments the other agencies by operating Engine 1 as a primary response during the hours 9:00am-5:00pm and as a secondary response from 5:00pm-9:00am.