Be Prepared for Your Next Fire Inspection

• Address numbers: Can your address be seen from the street? Numbers must be at least 4 inches tall, with a stroke at least 1/2 inch wide, in a color that stands out from the background. (IFC 505.1)
• Key box (Knox Box): If our office has required a key box for your building, is it in place with current keys and access cards inside? If you changed or rekeyed a lock, did you tell our office and put the new key in the box? (IFC 506.1, 506.2)
• Clear paths to exits: Are aisles, hallways, and exit paths free of boxes, displays, carts, and furniture? Nothing may narrow the required width of an exit path. Most hallways must be at least 44 inches wide, or 36 inches if fewer than 50 people use them. (IFC 1003.6, 1020.3, 1032.3)
• Exit doors: Do exit doors open from the inside without a key, a special trick, or extra effort? In most businesses, the main front door may have a key lock only if a sign above it reads "THIS DOOR TO REMAIN UNLOCKED WHEN THIS SPACE IS OCCUPIED" and the door stays unlocked whenever you are open. (IFC 1010.2, 1010.2.4)
• Doors that look like exits: Is any door that could be mistaken for an exit (such as a closet or storage room) marked with a sign that says what the room is, such as "Storage"? (IFC 1032.5)
• Exit signs: Are all exit signs lit, working, and easy to see, with no decorations or other signs blocking them? Does the battery backup work when tested? (IFC 1013.3, 1032.4)
• Emergency lighting: Do emergency lights come on when tested? They must be tested for 30 seconds every month and for 90 minutes on battery power once a year. (IFC 1008.3, 1032.10)
• Fire doors: Do fire-rated doors close and latch on their own? Are they free of wedges, kick-down stops, and anything else holding them open? If they have hold-open devices, do those work? (IFC 705.2, 705.2.3, 705.2.4)
• Stairways: Are exit stairways completely free of storage? (IFC 315.3.2, 1032.3)
• Ceilings and walls: Are all ceiling tiles in place and undamaged? Have holes in fire-rated walls and ceilings been properly repaired? Missing tiles and open holes let fire and smoke spread faster. (IFC 701.6)

Fire extinguishers

• Are extinguishers easy to see and easy to reach, with nothing stored in front of them? (IFC 906.5, 906.6)
• Is there an extinguisher within 75 feet of walking distance from any point in the building? (IFC 906.3, Table 906.3(1))
• Has each extinguisher been serviced within the last year by a company licensed by the Texas State Fire Marshal's Office, with a current service tag attached? (IFC 906.2, NFPA 10)
• Do you (or an employee) check each extinguisher once a month to make sure it is in place, the gauge is in the green, and the pin and seal are intact? (IFC 906.2, NFPA 10)
• Is each extinguisher mounted on its hanger or bracket, or in a cabinet? For most extinguishers (40 pounds or less), the top must be no higher than 5 feet, and the bottom must be at least 4 inches off the floor. (IFC 906.7, 906.9)

Fire sprinkler system

• Has the sprinkler system been inspected and tested within the last year by a licensed sprinkler company? (IFC 901.6, NFPA 25)
• Is there at least 18 inches of clear space between the top of any storage and the sprinkler heads? (IFC 315.3.1)
• Are sprinkler heads free of paint, damage, and anything hanging from them? (IFC 901.6, NFPA 25)
• Is there a cabinet with spare sprinkler heads and a sprinkler wrench near the sprinkler riser? (NFPA 13, NFPA 25)
• Is the fire department connection (FDC) easy to see and reach, with at least 3 feet of clear space in front of and beside it? No bushes, fences, or stored items should be in the way. (IFC 912.4, 912.4.2)

Fire alarm system

• Has the fire alarm system been tested and serviced within the last year by a licensed fire alarm company? (IFC 907.8, NFPA 72)
• Does the fire alarm panel show "normal," with no trouble or supervisory lights? If not, call your alarm company. (IFC 907.8)
• Are manual pull stations easy to see and reach, with nothing blocking them? (IFC 907.4.2)

Records

• Do you keep inspection and service records for your extinguishers, sprinklers, fire alarm, and kitchen hood system where you can show them to the inspector? (IFC 901.6.3)

• Electrical panels: Is there clear working space in front of every electrical panel, at least 30 inches wide, 36 inches deep, and 78 inches high? Nothing may be stored in this space. (IFC 603.4)
• Panel covers: Are all panel covers in place, with blank plates filling any empty breaker openings? (IFC 603.2)
• Junction boxes: Are all electrical junction boxes closed with a cover plate, with no open splices or exposed wiring? (IFC 603.2.2)
• Extension cords: Are extension cords used only for temporary needs, never in place of permanent wiring? Is each cord serving only one appliance, and free of damage and splices? (IFC 603.6, 603.6.1, 603.6.3)
• Power strips: Are power strips listed (look for the UL label) and plugged straight into a wall outlet? They may not be plugged into another power strip or an extension cord, and may not run through walls, ceilings, floors, or under doors. (IFC 603.5.1, 603.5.2, 603.5.3)

• Storage height: In areas without sprinklers, is all storage kept at least 24 inches below the ceiling? (IFC 315.3.1)
• Mechanical, boiler, and electrical rooms: Are these rooms free of all stored combustible items, such as boxes, paper, and cleaning supplies? (IFC 315.3.3)
• Heat sources: Is storage kept well away from furnaces, water heaters, and space heaters? Use at least 3 feet, or the manufacturer's required clearance if it is greater. Space heaters should be listed and plugged straight into a wall outlet. (IFC 305.1)
• Oily rags: Are oily rags and other materials that can catch fire on their own kept in a listed metal disposal can, and emptied every day? (IFC 304.3.1)
• Flammable liquids: Are gasoline, solvents, paints, and other flammable or combustible liquids kept in approved containers and cabinets, in amounts no larger than allowed? (IFC Chapter 57)
• Compressed gas cylinders: Are all compressed gas cylinders chained, strapped, or racked so they cannot fall over? (IFC 5303.5.3)
• Lithium-ion batteries (new): If you store large amounts of lithium-ion batteries (for example, as retail stock or in a warehouse), have you checked with our office about the new storage rules? (IFC 320)
• E-bike and e-scooter charging (new): If your business charges e-bikes, e-scooters, or similar devices (for example, for rentals, repairs, or deliveries), are the devices listed (UL 2272 or UL 2849), charged only with the manufacturer's charger or a listed charger, plugged straight into a wall outlet, and kept out of exit paths and away from stored combustibles? Charging a single device by its owner is exempt. (IFC 322)

• Trash and waste: Is the business free of piled-up trash, empty boxes, and other combustible waste? (IFC 304.1)
• Fire lanes: Are fire lanes kept clear at all times, including no parked vehicles, dumpsters, or deliveries? Are "No Parking, Fire Lane" signs and markings clean and easy to read? (IFC 503.3, 503.4)
• Fire hydrants: Is there at least 3 feet of clear space all the way around every fire hydrant, with nothing blocking access to it? (IFC 507.5.4, 507.5.5)

• Hood and duct cleaning: Has your hood and duct system been inspected by a qualified company on schedule, and cleaned when grease buildup was found? Most kitchens need inspection every 6 months. High-volume cooking (24-hour service, charbroiling, or wok cooking) needs it every 3 months. Solid fuel cooking (wood or charcoal) needs it every month. (IFC 606.3.3.1, Table 606.3.3.1, 606.3.3.2)
• Service tag: Is a current service tag posted on or near the hood, with older tags removed or covered? (IFC 606.3.3.3.1)
• Hood suppression system: Has the hood fire suppression system been serviced within the last 6 months by a company licensed by the Texas State Fire Marshal's Office? (IFC 904.14.5.2)
• Manual pull for the hood system: Is the manual pull station for the hood system easy to reach and free of anything blocking it? (IFC 904.14.1)
• Class K extinguisher: Is there a Class K extinguisher (for cooking oils and grease) within 30 feet of cooking equipment that uses oil or fat? (IFC 906.4, NFPA 10)