SACRAMENTO – Updated fire and building codes developed to increase fire resistance in buildings and homes across California will take effect this month.

The new codes, which will be enforced by Cal Fire's Office of the State Fire Marshal (OSFM) and fire and building departments throughout the state, bring California in line with the 2009 International Building, Fire, and Residential Code.

The new codes were adopted by the California Building Standards Commission.

“Providing an enhanced fire safe environment is important as we promote a sustainable living and working environment,” said Acting State Fire Marshal Tonya Hoover. “The reduction of fire not only protects our residents but also enhances our environment and business community. These standards will increase fire safety and awareness in communities throughout California.”

Each year wildfires char thousands of acres and destroy hundreds, even thousands, of homes in California. A portion of the newly adopted codes focus on regulations for homes built in the wildland-urban interface in order to make them more ember resistant, increasing structure survivability.

Additional amendments relate to tire storage, dry cleaning, and automatic extinguishing systems.

A key component in the 2010 code adoption is the addition of residential fire sprinklers in all new one and two family and town-home construction.

For many years, installation of fire sprinkler systems has only been required in office buildings and multi-family dwellings like apartments. These sprinkler systems are proven to save lives and extinguish fires. More than 100 jurisdictions in California already have a local residential fire sprinkler ordinance.

For more information about fire and building codes in your community, contact your local fire department or building department.

Information concerning fire and panic safety can also be obtained by visiting the Cal Fire-OSFM Web site, http://osfm.fire.ca.gov .

To review all of the new codes to take effect in 2011, visit www.bsc.ca.gov .

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