Chapter 32 — HIGH-PILED COMBUSTIBLE STORAGE
Section 3206
California Fire Code (Title 24, Part 9) · 2019 edition · updated 2026-09-10 · California
CBSC: official editions, supplements and errata
Italicized text is a California amendment to the model code, as printed in the official publication.
GENERAL FIRE PROTECTION AND LIFE SAFETY FEATURES
3206.1 General. Fire protection and life safety features for¶
high-piled storage areas shall be in accordance with Sections 3206.2 through 3206.11.
3206.2 Type of protection. Where required by Table 3206.2,¶
fire detection systems, smoke and heat removal and automatic sprinkler design densities shall be provided to protect the high-piled storage area.
3206.2.1 Extent of protection. The fire safety features required in Table 3206.2 shall extend to the lesser of 15 feet (4572 mm) beyond the high-piled storage area or a full height wall. Where portions of high-piled storage areas have different fire protection requirements because of commodity, method of storage or storage height, the fire protection features required by Table 3206.2 within this area shall be based on the most restrictive design requirements.
Copyright © 2019 ICC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Accessed by Kevin Day (kevin.day@dgs.ca.gov), (California Building Standards Commission) Order Number #100735044 on Jul 24, 2019 03:54 PM (PDT) pursuant to License Agreement with ICC. No further reproduction or distribution authorized. Single user only, copying and networking prohibited. ANY UNAUTHORIZED REPRODUCTION OR DISTRIBUTION IS A VIOLATION OF THE FEDERAL COPYRIGHT ACT AND THE LICENSE AGREEMENT, AND SUBJECT TO CIVIL AND CRIMINAL PENALTIES THEREUNDER.
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TABLE 3206.2 GENERAL FIRE PROTECTION AND LIFE SAFETY REQUIREMENTS
| COMMODITY CLASS |
SIZE OF HIGH-PILED STORAGE AREAa (square feet) (see Sections 3206.2 and 3206.3) |
ALL STORAGE AREAS (See Sections 3206, 3207 and 3208)b |
SOLID-PILED STORAGE, SHELF STORAGE AND PALLETIZED STORAGE (see Section 3207.3) |
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| COMMODITY CLASS |
SIZE OF HIGH-PILED STORAGE AREAa (square feet) (see Sections 3206.2 and 3206.3) |
Automatic fire- extinguishing system (see Section 3206.4) |
Fire detection system (see Section 3206.5) |
Fire department access doors (see Section 3206.7) |
Smoke and heat removal (see Section 3206.8) |
Maximum pile dimensionc (feet) |
Maximum permissible storage heightd (feet) |
Maximum pile volume (cubic feet) |
| I-IV | 0–500 | Not Requireda |
Not Required |
Not Required |
Not Required |
Not Required |
Not Required |
Not Required |
| I-IV | 501–2,500 | Not Requireda |
Yesg | Not Required |
Not Required |
120 | 40 | 100,000 |
| I-IV | 2,501–12,000 Open to the public |
Yes | Not Required |
Not Required |
Not Required |
120 | 40 | 400,000 |
| I-IV | 2,501–12,000 Not open to the public (Option 1) |
Yes | Not Required |
Not Requirede |
Not Required |
120 | 40 | 400,000 |
| I-IV | 2,501–12,000 Not open to the public (Option 2) |
Not Requireda |
Yes | Yes | Yesh, i | 120 | 30e | 200,000 |
| I-IV | 12,001–500,000 | Yes | Not Required |
Yes | Yesh, i | 120 | 40 | 400,000 |
| I-IV | Greater than 500,000 |
Yes | Not Required |
Yes | Yesh, i | 120 | 40 | 400,000 |
| High hazard |
0–500 | Not Requireda |
Not Required |
Not Requirede |
Not Required |
60 | Not Required |
Not Required |
| High hazard |
501–2,500 Open to the public |
Yes | Not Required |
Not Requirede |
Not Required |
60 | 30 | 75,000 |
| High hazard |
501–2,500 Not open to the public (Option 1) |
Yes | Not Required |
Not Requirede |
Not Required |
60 | 30 | 75,000 |
| High hazard |
501–2,500 Not open to the public (Option 2) |
Not Requireda |
Yesg | Yes | Yesh, i | 60 | 20 | 50,000 |
| High hazard |
2,501–300,000 | Yes | Not Required |
Yes | Yesh, i | 60 | 30 | 75,000 |
| High hazard |
Greater than 300,000f | Yes | Not Required |
Yes | Yesh, i | 60 | 30 | 75,000 |
For SI: 1 foot = 304.8 mm, 1 cubic foot = 0.02832 m 3, 1 square foot = 0.0929 m 2 . a. Where automatic sprinklers are required for reasons other than those in Chapter 32, the portion of the sprinkler system protecting the high-piled storage area
shall be designed and installed in accordance with Sections 3207 and 3208. b. For aisles, see Section 3206.10. c. Piles shall be separated by aisles complying with Section 3206.10. d. For storage in excess of the height indicated, special fire protection shall be provided in accordance with Note f where required by the fire code official. See
Chapters 51 and 57 for special limitations for aerosols and flammable and combustible liquids, respectively. e. For storage exceeding 30 feet in height, Option 1 shall be used. f. Special fire protection provisions including, but not limited to, fire protection of exposed steel columns; increased sprinkler density; additional in-rack
sprinklers, without associated reductions in ceiling sprinkler density; or additional fire department hose connections shall be provided where required by the fire code official. g. Not required where an automatic fire-extinguishing system is designed and installed to protect the high-piled storage area in accordance with Sections 3207
and 3208. h. Not required where storage areas with an exit access travel distance of 250 feet (76 200 mm) or less are protected by either early suppression fast response
(ESFR) sprinkler systems or control mode special application sprinklers with a response time index of 50 (m • s) 1/2 or less that are listed to control a fire in the stored commodities with 12 or fewer sprinklers, installed in accordance with Section 903.3.1.1. i. Not required in frozen food warehouses used solely for storage of Class I and II commodities where protected by an approved automatic sprinkler system.
450 2019 CALIFORNIA FIRE CODE
Copyright © 2019 ICC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Accessed by Kevin Day (kevin.day@dgs.ca.gov), (California Building Standards Commission) Order Number #100735044 on Jul 24, 2019 03:54 PM (PDT) pursuant to License Agreement with ICC. No further reproduction or distribution authorized. Single user only, copying and networking prohibited. ANY UNAUTHORIZED REPRODUCTION OR DISTRIBUTION IS A VIOLATION OF THE FEDERAL COPYRIGHT ACT AND THE LICENSE AGREEMENT, AND SUBJECT TO CIVIL AND CRIMINAL PENALTIES THEREUNDER.
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3206.5 Fire detection. Where fire detection is required by¶
Table 3206.2, an approved automatic fire detection system shall be installed throughout the high-piled storage area. The system shall be monitored and be in accordance with Section 907.
3206.6 Building access.¶
Fire apparatus access roads in accordance with Section 503 shall be provided within 150 feet (45 720 mm) of all portions of the exterior walls of buildings used for high-piled storage.
Exception: Where fire apparatus access roads cannot be installed because of topography, railways, waterways, nonnegotiable grades or other similar conditions, the fire code official is authorized to require additional fire protection.
3206.7 Fire department access doors.¶
Where fire department access doors are required by Table 3206.2, fire department access doors shall be provided in accordance Sections 3206.7.1 through 3206.7.8.
3206.7.1 Exterior walls without fire department access doors. Fire department access doors are not required in an exterior wall that does not face a fire apparatus access road provided that all of the following conditions occur:
The opposite exterior wall faces a fire apparatus access road.
The opposite exterior wall is provided with fire department access doors.
The entire interior surface of the exterior wall is less than 150 feet (45 720 mm) away from a fire department access door.
The building is equipped throughout with an automatic sprinkler system in accordance with Section 903.3.1.1.
3206.7.2 Where located. Where exterior walls surrounding high-piled storage areas face fire apparatus access roads, such walls shall be provided with fire department access doors.
3206.7.3 Access to doors. Fire department access doors shall be able to be accessed without the use of a ladder.
3206.7.4 Marking on fire department access doors. Fire department access doors shall be labeled on the exterior side with the following sign or other approved sign:
FIRE DEPARTMENT ACCESS DOOR
DO NOT BLOCK
The lettering shall be in a contrasting color to the background. Letters shall have a minimum height of 2 inches (51 mm) with a minimum stroke of 3 /8 inch (10 mm). 3206.7.5 Number of doors required. The required fire department access doors shall be distributed such that the lineal distance between adjacent fire department access doors does not exceed 125 feet (38 100 mm) measured center to center.
Exception: The linear distance between adjacent access doors shall not exceed 200 feet (60 960 mm) in existing buildings where change in occupancy is not proposed.
¬
3206.3 High-piled storage areas. For the application of¶
Table 3206.2, the size of the high-piled storage areas shall be determined in accordance with Sections 3206.3.1 through 3206.3.2.1.
3206.3.1 Size of high-piled storage area. The size of each high-piled storage area shall include the footprint of the actual high-piled storage racks, shelves or piles and the following aisles:
Interior aisles within the footprint of the storage area.
An aisle around the perimeter of the footprint with a minimum width as required in Section 3206.10.1 or the dimension to a wall or full height wall, whichever is less.
3206.3.2 Multiple high-piled storage areas. Where a building contains multiple high-piled storage areas, the aggregate of all high-piled storage areas shall be used for the application of Table 3206.2 unless the high-piled storage areas are separated in accordance with one of the following:
High-piled storage areas separated by fire barriers with a minimum fire-resistance-rating of 1 hour constructed in accordance with Section 707 of the Cali- fornia Building Code .
In buildings equipped throughout with an automatic sprinkler system in accordance with Section 903.3.1.1, high-piled storage areas separated by 100 feet (30 480 mm) or more. The area providing the separation shall not contain high-piled combustible storage.
3206.3.2.1 Multiple class high-piled storage areas. High-piled storage areas classified as Class I through IV not separated from high-piled storage areas classified as high hazard shall utilize the aggregate of all high-piled storage areas as high hazard for the purposes of the application of Table 3206.2. Multiple class highpiled storage areas meeting the separation requirements in Section 3206.3.2 shall be considered as separated. The fire safety features in Table 3206.2 shall be extended beyond the higher-hazard storage area in accordance with Section 3206.2.1.
Exception: Multiple class high-piled storage areas do not need to be separated where in accordance with Section 3204.2.
3206.4 Automatic sprinklers. Automatic sprinkler systems¶
shall be provided in accordance with Sections 3207, 3208 and 3209.
3206.4.1 Pallets. Automatic sprinkler system requirements based on the presence of pallets shall be in accordance with NFPA 13.
3206.4.1.1 Plastic pallets. Plastic pallets listed and labeled in accordance with FM 4996 or UL 2335 shall be treated as wood pallets for determining required sprinkler protection.
Copyright © 2019 ICC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Accessed by Kevin Day (kevin.day@dgs.ca.gov), (California Building Standards Commission) Order Number #100735044 on Jul 24, 2019 03:54 PM (PDT) pursuant to License Agreement with ICC. No further reproduction or distribution authorized. Single user only, copying and networking prohibited. ANY UNAUTHORIZED REPRODUCTION OR DISTRIBUTION IS A VIOLATION OF THE FEDERAL COPYRIGHT ACT AND THE LICENSE AGREEMENT, AND SUBJECT TO CIVIL AND CRIMINAL PENALTIES THEREUNDER.
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3206.7.6 Door size and type. Fire department access doors shall be not less than 3 feet (914 mm) in width and 6 feet 8 inches (2032 mm) in height. Roll-up doors shall not be considered fire department access doors unless approved.
3206.7.7 Locking devices. Locking devices on fire department access doors shall be approved.
3206.7.8 Key box. Where fire department access doors are required, a key box shall be installed in accordance with Section 506.1. The key box shall contain keys or devices to allow for entry through the fire department access doors.
3206.8 Smoke and heat removal. Where smoke and heat¶
removal is required by Table 3206.2 it shall be provided in accordance with Section 910.
3206.9 Fire department hose connections.¶
Where exit passageways are required by the California Building Code for egress, a Class I standpipe system shall be provided in accordance with Section 905.
3206.10 Aisles. Aisles providing access to exits and fire¶
department access doors shall be provided in high-piled storage areas exceeding 500 square feet (46 m 2 ), in accordance with Sections 3206.10.1 through 3206.10.3. Aisles separating storage piles or racks shall comply with NFPA 13. Aisles shall comply with Chapter 10.
Exception: Where aisles are precluded by rack storage systems, alternate methods of access and protection are allowed where approved.
3206.10.1 Width. Aisle width shall be in accordance with Sections 3206.10.1.1 and 3206.10.1.2.
Exceptions:
Aisles crossing rack structures or storage piles, that are used only for employee access, shall be not less than 24 inches (610 mm) wide.
Aisles separating shelves classified as shelf storage shall be not less than 30 inches (762 mm) wide.
3206.10.1.1 Sprinklered buildings. Aisles in sprinklered buildings shall be not less than 44 inches (1118 mm) wide. Aisles shall be not less than 96 inches (2438 mm) wide in high-piled storage areas exceeding 2,500 square feet (232 m 2 ) in area, that are accessible to the public and designated to contain high-hazard commodities.
Aisles shall be not less than 96 inches (2438 mm) wide in areas open to the public where mechanical stocking methods are used.
Exceptions:
- Aisles in high-piled storage areas exceeding 2,500 square feet (232 m 2 ) in area, that are open to the public and designated to contain high-hazard commodities, and that are protected by a sprinkler system designed for multiple-row racks of high-hazard commodities,
shall be not less than 44 inches (1118 mm) wide.
- Aisles that are in high-piled storage areas exceeding 2,500 square feet (232 m 2 ) in area, not open to the public and protected by a sprinkler system designed for multiple-row racks, shall be not less than 24 inches (610 mm) wide.
3206.10.1.2 Nonsprinklered buildings. Aisles in nonsprinklered buildings shall be not less than 96 inches (2438 mm) wide.
3206.10.2 Clear height. The required aisle width shall extend from floor to ceiling. Rack structural supports and catwalks are allowed to cross aisles at a minimum height of 6 feet 8 inches (2032 mm) above the finished floor level, provided that such supports do not interfere with fire department hose stream trajectory.
3206.10.3 Dead-end aisles. Dead-end aisles shall not exceed 20 feet (6096 mm) in length in Group M occupancies. Dead-end aisles shall not exceed 50 feet (15 240 mm) in length in all other occupancies.
Exception: Dead-end aisles are not limited where the length of the dead-end aisle is less than 2.5 times the least width of the dead-end aisle.
3206.11 Portable fire extinguishers.¶
Portable fire extinguishers shall be provided in accordance with Section 906.
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