3105 Temporary Special Event Structures — 2025 California Fire Code

Temporary special event structures shall comply with Section 3104, Sections 3105.2 through 3105.8 and ANSI E1.21.

Temporary special event structures required to have a permit, as set forth in Sections 105.5 and 105.6, shall not be erected, operated or maintained for any purpose without first obtaining approval and a permit from the fire code official and the building official.

Temporary special event structures erected in accordance with ANSI E1.21 shall not be erected for a period of more than six consecutive weeks.

The following documents shall be submitted to the fire code official and the building official for review before a permit is approved:

1. Construction documents: Construction documents shall be prepared by a registered design professional in accordance with the California Building Code and ANSI E1.21 where applicable. Construction documents shall include: 1.1. A summary sheet showing the building code used, design criteria, loads and support reactions. 1.2. Detailed construction and installation drawings. 1.3. Design calculations. 1.4. Operating limits of the structure explicitly outlined by the registered design professional including environmental conditions and physical forces. 1.5. Effects of additive elements such as video walls, supported scenery, audio equipment, vertical and horizontal coverings. 1.6. Means for adequate stability including specific requirements for guying and cross-bracing, ground anchors or ballast for different ground conditions.
2. Designation of responsible party: The owner of the temporary special event structure shall designate in writing a person to have responsibility for the temporary special event structure on the site. The designated person shall have sufficient knowledge of the construction documents, manufacturer’s recommendations and operations plan to make judgments regarding the structure’s safety and to coordinate with the fire code official.
3. Operations plan: The operations plan shall reflect manufacturer’s operational guidelines, procedures for environmental monitoring and actions to be taken under specified conditions consistent with the construction documents.

Inspections shall comply with Section 109 and Sections 3105.5.1 and 3105.5.2.

3105.5.1 Independent inspector. The owner of a temporary special event structure shall employ a qualified, independent approved agency or individual to inspect the installation of a temporary special event structure.

3105.5.2 Inspection report. The inspecting agency or individual shall furnish an inspection report to the fire code official. The inspection report shall indicate that the temporary special event structure was inspected and was or was not installed in accordance with the approved construction documents. Discrepancies shall be brought to the immediate attention of the installer for correction. Where any discrepancy is not corrected, it shall be brought to the attention of the fire code official and the designated responsible party.

The means of egress for temporary special event structures shall comply with Chapter 10.

Temporary special event structure shall be located a distance from property lines and buildings to accommodate distances indicated in the construction drawings for guy wires, cross-bracing, ground anchors or ballast. Location shall not interfere with egress from a building or encroach on fire apparatus access roads.

Portable fire extinguishers shall be provided as required by Section 906.