Encinitas Municipal Code Ch. 10.04 2024 International Fire

§ 10.04.010. Adopted.¶

That a certain document, three copies of which are on file in the office of the City of Encinitas Fire Department being marked and designated as the 2024 International Fire Code and 2025 California Fire Code, including, Appendices B & I, and the 2025 California Wildland-Urban Interface Code as published by the International Code Council, be and is hereby adopted as the Fire Code of the City of Encinitas, in the State of California regulating and governing the safeguarding of life and property from fire and explosion hazards arising from the storage, handling and use of hazardous substances, materials and devices, and from conditions hazardous to life or property in the occupancy of buildings and premises erection, construction, enlargement, alteration, repair, moving, removal, conversion, demolition, equipment use, and maintenance of buildings and structures, including that providing for the issuance of permits and collection of fees therefore; and each and all of the regulations, provisions, penalties, conditions and terms of said Fire Code on file in the office of the City of Encinitas Fire Department are hereby referred to, adopted, and made a part hereof, as if fully set out in this chapter, with the additions, insertions, deletions and changes, if any, prescribed in Section 10.04.020 of this chapter.

(Ord. 2022-12; Ord. 2025-10, 9/24/2025)

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§ 10.04.020. Amendments.¶

That the following sections are hereby revised:

A. Chapter 1 Administration.

Section 101.5 City of Encinitas Validity. This section is revised to read:

The City Council of the City of Encinitas hereby declares that should any section, paragraph, sentence, or word of this ordinance or of the code hereby adopted be declared for any reason to be invalid, it is the intent of the City Council of the City of Encinitas that it would have passed all other portions of this ordinance independently of the elimination here from of any such portion as may be declared invalid.

Section 102.13 Repeal of Conflicting Ordinances, Resolutions or Motions. This section is added to read:

All former ordinances, resolutions or motions, or parts thereof, including 2022-12 and 2019-27, which conflict or are inconsistent with the provisions of this Ordinance or of the Code or standards hereby adopted are hereby repealed.

B. Chapter 2 Definitions.

Section 202 General Definitions

This section is redacted and replaced to read:

Fire Hazard -

Anything that increases or could cause an increase of the hazard or menace of fire to a greater degree than customarily recognized as normal by persons in the public service regularly engaged in preventing, suppressing or extinguishing fire or anything or act which could obstruct, delay, hinder or interfere with the operations of the Fire Department or egress of occupants in the event of fire.

Fireworks -

is any combustible or explosive composition, or any substance or combination of substances, or device prepared for the purpose of producing a visible or an audible effect by combustion, explosion, deflagration or detonation, and shall include blank cartridges, toy pistols, toy cannons, toy canes, or toy guns in which explosives are used, firecrackers, torpedoes, sky-rockets, roman candles, Daygo bombs, sparklers, snap caps, poppers or other devices of like construction and any devices containing any explosive or flammable compound, or any tablet or other device containing any explosive substance, except that the term "fireworks" shall not include any auto flares, paper caps containing not in excess of an average of twenty-five hundredths of a grain of explosive content per cap and toy pistols, toy canes, toy guns or other devices for use of such caps, the sale and use of which shall be permitted at all times. "Fireworks" shall include snap caps and poppers, regardless of the amount of explosive content included in each device.

Hazardous Fire Area -

Any geographic area mapped by the State or designated by the local jurisdiction as a moderate, high or very high fire hazard area, or which the FAHJ has determined is a hazardous fire area; the type and condition of vegetation, topography, weather, or structure density which may increase the possibility of the area being susceptible to wildfire.

Hazardous Situation -

Any situation deemed by the Fire department, and any of its authorized representatives, to pose a threat to life safety, property, or the environment.

Mid-Rise Building -

A building four stories or more in height, but not exceeding 75 feet and not defined as a high-rise building by section 202 of the California Building Code. Measurements shall be made from the underside of the roof or floor above the topmost space that may be occupied to the lowest fire apparatus access road level.

Nothing in Section 324 shall imply or allow a building height in excess of current City of Encinitas planning and zoning requirements.

Modifications.

Where there are practical difficulties involved in carrying out the provision of this code, the Fire Code Official shall have the authority to grant modifications for individual cases, provided the Fire Code Official shall first find that special individual reason makes the strict letter of this code impractical and the modification is in compliance with the intent and purpose of this code and that such modification does not lessen health, life, and fire safety requirements. In-lieu fees may be charged to re-coup costs associated with properly equipping the Fire Department with additional apparatus or equipment needed due to the modifications. The details of action granting modifications shall be recorded and entered in the files of the department of Fire Prevention.

Level -

An area, above or below grade, including but not limited to; basements, garages, cellars, mezzanines or similar uses.

Wherever the terms -

"This Code" shall mean the 2025 California Fire Code, and the 2025 California Wildland Urban Interface Code as modified by the City of Encinitas with the deletions, revisions and additions set forth in the amendments.

C. Chapter 3 General Requirements.

Section 308.1.6.3. Sky Lanterns. This section is revised to read:

Sky lanterns, floating luminary, and similar devices propelled by open flame are prohibited for sale or use.

Section 324 Mid-Rise Buildings.

Section 324.1 General. This section is added to read:

All newly constructed mid-rise buildings or any mid-rise building which undergoes a complete structural or non-structural renovation, that requires the complete vacancy of the building to complete the renovation shall, comply with Sections 324.1 through 324.3.

Exceptions:

1.	Buildings used exclusively as open parking garages.
2.	Buildings where all floors above the fourth-floor level are used exclusively as an open parking garage.
3.	Buildings such as a power plant, lookout tower, steeple, grain house, or other similar structures with intermittent human occupancy.

Section 321.2 Fire Equipment Control Room. This section is added to read:

A fire equipment control room for fire department operations shall be provided. The location and accessibility of the room shall be approved by the fire department. The room shall be separated from the remainder of the building by not less than a 1-hour fire barrier. The room shall contain the following facilities at minimum:

1.	Voice alarm and public address panels
2.	Fire alarm control panel
3.	Status indicators and controls for air-handling systems
4.	Fire pump status indicators (if required)
5.	(ERRC) Emergency Responder Radio Communications
6.	Work Table and Chairs
7.	Set of complete building plans

Section 321.3 Road Dimensions. This section is added to read:

Fire apparatus access roads serving buildings, portions of buildings, or facilities that exceed 30 feet in height above the lowest level of fire department vehicle access, shall have an unobstructed width of not less than 26 feet.

D. Chapter 5 Fire Service Features.

Section 503.2.1 Dimensions

This section is redacted and revised to read:

The dimensions of fire apparatus access roads shall be in accordance with the following:

Fire apparatus access roads shall have an unobstructed improved curb-face to curb-face minimum width of:

24 feet minimum - with no parking on either side of the street, or
32 feet minimum - allowing parking on one side of the street, or
36 feet minimum - allowing parking on both sides of the street.
26 feet minimum - access roads for building heights of 40 feet and higher with no parking on either side.
Private driveways serving no more than two family residences shall have an unobstructed improved width road width of not less than 16 ft.
Private driveways or access roads serving three or more single family residences shall have an unobstructed improved width of not less than 20 ft. with no parking on either side, exclusive of shoulders, raised medians, projections, and striping.

EXCEPTIONS:

1.	Fire access roadways, gated entrances with card readers, guard stations or center medians, which have separate lanes of one-way traffic, shall be not less than 14 feet wide per lane.
2.	Upon approval by the Fire Code Official, clearances or road widths may be reduced, provided such reduction provides equivalent access.

Section 503.2.3 Surface

This section is revised to read:

Fire apparatus access roads shall be designed and maintained to support the imposed loads of fire apparatus not less than 75,000 lbs. and shall be provided with an approved paved surface to provide all-weather driving capabilities.

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§ 10.04.030. Geographical Limits.¶

That the geographic limits referred to in certain sections of the 2025 California Fire Code are hereby established as follows:

A. Chapter 57 Flammable and Combustible Liquids.

Section 5704.2.9.6.1 Locations where Above-ground Tanks are Prohibited. This section is revised to read:

In the City of Encinitas, (geographic limits in which the storage of Class I and Class II liquids in above-ground tanks outside of buildings is prohibited): The limits referred to in Section 5704.2.9.6.1 and 5706.2.4.4 of the 2022 California Fire Code and the 2024 International Fire Code in which storage of flammable or combustible liquids in outside aboveground tanks is prohibited are hereby established as the jurisdictional limits of the City of Encinitas.

EXCEPTIONS:

1.	2000 gallons maximum temporary (six months maximum) above ground tanks meeting UL 2085 for private use on farms, agricultural and rural property, remote construction sites, earth moving projects, gravel pits or borrow pits. Such tanks shall be specially designed, approved and listed, and have features incorporated into their design which mitigates concerns for exposure to heat (two-hour fire resistance), ignition sources and mechanical damage. A fire department permit will be required.
2.	Crankcase draining may be stored in specially constructed above ground storage tanks, approved by the fire code official, with a maximum capacity of 550 gallons. Such tanks may be located within a building when the fire code official deems appropriate, and the container meets the following: specially designed, approved and listed containers which have features incorporated into their design which mitigates concerns for exposure to heat, ignition sources and mechanical damage. Containers must be installed and used in accordance with their listing, and provisions must be made for leak and spill containment. In no case shall such storage be permitted in residential or institutional property. All installations require a fire department permit.
3.	With the fire code official's approval, Class I and II liquids may be stored in aboveground tanks inside or outside of buildings in specially designed, approved and listed containers which have features incorporated into their design which mitigates concerns for exposure to heat, ignition sources and mechanical damage. Class I liquids will be limited to 550 gallons and class II liquids will be limited to 1100 gallons.
	Containers must be installed and used in accordance with their listing, and provisions must be made for leak and spill containment. The fire code official may disapprove the installation of such containers when, in his opinion, their use presents a risk to life or property.
4.	With the fire code official's approval, temporary storage of a maximum 10,000 gallons of Class II liquids may be permitted for a period not to exceed ninety (90) days at remote construction sites, earth moving projects, gravel pits or borrow pits, consistent with 5704 and 5706.

Section 5706 Special Operations.

Section 5706.2.4.4 Locations where Above-ground Tanks are Prohibited. This section is revised to read:

Within the geographic limits of the City of Encinitas, the storage of Class I and Class II liquids in above-ground tank is prohibited in residential areas.

Section 5706.4 Bulk Plants or Terminals. This section is revised to read:

The geographic limits in which bulk plants and terminals of flammable and combustible liquids are received are prohibited for the protection of heavily populated and congested areas and are hereby established as jurisdiction limits of the City of Encinitas.

B. Chapter 58 Flammable Cryogenic Fluids.

Section 5806.2 Limitations. This section revised to read:

Storage of flammable cryogenic fluids in stationary containers outside of buildings is prohibited within the geographic limits of the City of Encinitas.

C. Chapter 61 Liquefied Petroleum Gases.

Section 6104.2 Maximum Capacity within Established Limits. This section is revised to read:

Within the geographic limits of the City of Encinitas, the storage of liquefied petroleum gas for the protection of heavily populated or congested areas, the aggregate capacity of any one installation shall not exceed a water capacity of 2,000 gallons.

(Ord. 2022-12; Ord. 2025-10, 9/24/2025)

Exceptions & meaning →