The Oregon Fire Code is the statewide set of fire safety rules enforced by the Oregon State Fire Marshal, and its 2025 edition took effect on October 1, 2025, replacing the 2022 code after a phase-in period that runs through March 31, 2026. It applies to virtually every occupied structure in Oregon except single-family private residences, which fall under the building code instead. The rules cover exits and sprinklers in commercial buildings, permits for hazardous activities, defensible space around homes in wildfire country, and a growing list of requirements for lithium-ion battery storage and charging.
The legal backbone is ORS Chapter 476, which gives the State Fire Marshal authority over fire prevention, combustibles and explosives, and structural fire safety in occupied buildings.1Oregon Public Law. Oregon Revised Statutes 476.030 – Powers and Duties of Marshal and Deputies Generally The code itself is the International Fire Code with Oregon-specific amendments, adopted through Oregon Administrative Rules Chapter 837. The 2025 Oregon Fire Code is built on the 2024 International Fire Code.2Legal Information Institute. Oregon Administrative Code 837-040-0010 – Adoption of the International Fire Code Local fire departments and districts handle most day-to-day enforcement, and some adopt additional provisions on top of the state code.
What Changed in the 2025 Edition
Between October 1, 2025 and March 31, 2026, plan reviews for new construction can still use the 2022 code. After that, only the 2025 code applies.3State of Oregon. Oregon Fire Code Several of the updates address hazards that were not on the radar when the previous edition was written.
- Lithium-ion and lithium metal battery storage now has its own set of requirements under new Section 320, aimed at the thermal runaway risk behind recent warehouse fires.
- Powered micromobility devices such as e-bikes and electric scooters with lithium batteries fall under Section 322. Charging equipment must be listed, and running a rental, sales, or service business for these devices is prohibited in residential buildings.
- Carbon monoxide alarms are required in all occupied buildings that contain a CO-producing source, with limited exceptions for factory, storage, and utility spaces that are not normally occupied.
- Any facility that develops, tests, manufactures, or stores lithium-ion batteries must have a fire sprinkler system once the battery area exceeds 500 square feet.
- Puzzle rooms and escape rooms are now formally treated as special amusement areas, subject to the same fire safety rules as haunted houses.
- Rolling steel fire doors must be inspected, tested, and reset annually by a trained technician in accordance with NFPA 80.
If your business stores, charges, or repairs devices with lithium batteries, the new code almost certainly imposes obligations that did not exist before.4State of Oregon. 2025 Oregon Fire Code Executive Summary
Building and Occupancy Requirements
The bulk of the code deals with how buildings are designed and maintained so people can get out and fire cannot spread. Requirements scale with occupancy type and building size.
Exits and Egress
Chapter 10 governs means of egress: hallway widths, exit sign placement, emergency lighting, and the rule that exit pathways stay unobstructed at all times. Blocked exits and broken emergency lighting are among the most common violations inspectors find. Every exit door needs functional hardware, and paths to exits cannot be used for storage, even temporarily.
Sprinklers and Alarms
Chapter 9 covers automatic sprinklers and alarm networks. Installation and maintenance obligations scale with size and occupancy, and facilities storing hazardous materials or holding large numbers of people face the strictest sprinkler mandates. Under the 2025 code, that list now includes any facility with more than 500 square feet dedicated to lithium-ion battery operations.4State of Oregon. 2025 Oregon Fire Code Executive Summary
Portable Fire Extinguishers
Federal OSHA standards apply in Oregon workplaces and require portable fire extinguishers to be spaced so no employee travels more than 75 feet to reach one for ordinary combustible (Class A) fires, or more than 50 feet in areas with flammable liquid (Class B) hazards.5Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Portable Fire Extinguishers Those distances follow the actual walking path, not a straight line.
Storage of Combustibles
Flammable and combustible materials—cardboard, wood pallets, flammable liquids—must be kept at prescribed distances from heat sources and within volume limits. Facilities that handle hazardous materials must keep Safety Data Sheets readily available on-site, either on paper or through approved electronic access, so responders can identify risks the moment they arrive.
Maintaining Fire Protection Systems
Installing a sprinkler or alarm system is only the start. Oregon’s adoption of the International Fire Code brings in NFPA maintenance standards, and keeping up with the schedule is where many owners fall behind.
NFPA 25 sets a layered schedule for sprinklers. Weekly checks confirm that valves are open and system pressure is adequate. Annual inspections are more thorough, and under the 2026 edition of NFPA 25 they include internal inspections of all dry, pre-action, and deluge valves. Some multi-year checks can stretch to every three years—for example, ice obstruction inspections on systems that use nitrogen concentrations of 98% or greater and have passed two consecutive clear inspections.
Smoke detectors follow NFPA 72. Sensitivity must be tested within a year of installation and every two years after that. If the first two tests confirm the detector is within its recommended range, the interval can extend to five years. Detectors on a monitoring panel that continuously checks sensitivity and alerts when a device drifts out of range are exempt from the standard testing schedule, though they still need regular visual inspection. Any detector that fails a sensitivity test must be cleaned and recalibrated, or replaced.
Defensible Space for Wildfire Risk
Oregon’s wildfire exposure makes defensible space rules unusually important. The State Fire Marshal has developed a model defensible space code that local governments can adopt through their own processes under OAR 837-040-0030.6State of Oregon. Oregon State Fire Marshal – Defensible Space Even where the model has not been formally adopted, the guidelines represent the Fire Marshal’s recommended practice for properties in or near wildfire-prone areas.
The framework uses concentric zones around a structure:
- Zero to five feet is the buffer zone. Use non-combustible ground cover such as river rock, gravel, or pavers. Remove bark mulch and highly flammable plants such as junipers. Clear debris from under decks and patios.
- Five to thirty feet is the lean, clean, and green zone. Keep grass mowed below four inches, space tree crowns at least 10 feet apart, and prune branches up to six feet from the ground.
- Thirty to one hundred feet or more is the fuel-break zone. Remove ladder fuels like brush growing under trees, keep 10 feet of clearance around propane tanks, and clear heavy ground litter and deadwood.
Home hardening matters as much as landscaping. The Fire Marshal recommends covering attic and crawlspace vents with 1/8-inch metal wire mesh, using fiber-cement or stone siding where possible, and installing metal gates on any fence section within five feet of the house. Roofs and gutters should be cleared of leaves and needles, with non-combustible gutter covers to keep embers from collecting.6State of Oregon. Oregon State Fire Marshal – Defensible Space
Emergency access is another requirement that catches owners off guard. Driveways need at least 13 feet 6 inches of vertical clearance and 20 feet of horizontal clearance for fire engines. Reflective address signs should be visible from both directions, and gates must be wide enough and functional enough for large apparatus to pass through.
Operational Permits
The code requires operational permits for a wide range of activities that create fire risk. The 2025 edition lists dozens of categories; some of the most common:
- Fireworks: separate permits for public displays, retail sales, wholesale operations, and animal control use.
- Hazardous materials: compressed gases, flammable liquids, aerosol products, and combustible fibers above specified thresholds.
- Special events and venues: carnivals, fairs, covered mall displays, and special amusement areas such as haunted houses and escape rooms.
- Industrial operations: grain elevators, flour mills, additive manufacturing facilities, and any operation producing combustible dust.
Applications need documentation. At minimum, expect to submit site plans showing property layout, hydrant locations, and emergency vehicle access. Activities involving chemicals require Safety Data Sheets for all hazardous materials on-site. Large public assemblies need occupancy calculations based on available square footage and the number of exits. Applications are available through the State Fire Marshal website or at local fire district offices.3State of Oregon. Oregon Fire Code
Open Burning
Oregon defines open burning as any burning where combustion air is not effectively controlled and combustion products are not vented through a stack or chimney. That covers outdoor fires, burn barrels, and backyard incinerators.7Oregon State Legislature. Oregon Revised Statutes Chapter 476 – State Fire Marshal
On forestlands, burning permits fall under OAR 629-043-0040. Permit holders must clear the area around and above the burn site of material that could carry fire, and burning in barrels requires a screen made of at least 14-gauge wire with openings no larger than one-quarter inch. Burning is prohibited on any day the forester has closed due to fire danger or air quality, and every condition, hour, and date listed on the permit must be followed.8Oregon Public Law. Oregon Administrative Rules 629-043-0040 – Burning Permits The forester can reduce or waive requirements in writing when conditions allow, but violations are taken seriously, especially during fire season.
Inspections
The State Fire Marshal and deputies can enter and inspect all buildings and premises except private residences at reasonable hours, without prior permission. Homeowners can request a fire inspection voluntarily. Interfering with an inspection is a criminal offense, and the fire marshal is required to seek an arrest warrant through the county district attorney when someone blocks one.7Oregon State Legislature. Oregon Revised Statutes Chapter 476 – State Fire Marshal
A Fire Life Safety specialist walks the property checking exit door hardware, access to extinguishers, sprinkler and alarm maintenance, and the integrity of fire-rated walls and doors. Actual conditions get compared against the documented plans and the current code.
If everything checks out, the property receives a certificate of inspection. If problems turn up, the inspector issues a notice of violation citing the specific code sections and the corrections required. Correction windows vary by jurisdiction. In Portland, owners typically get at least 10 days for common problems and reinspection is scheduled after about 40 days, though serious life-safety issues may be reinspected in as little as one day. Immediate hazards can trigger orders to stop using part or all of a building until corrections are made. Failure to correct triggers additional fees, and ongoing non-compliance can lead to permit revocation or prosecution.
Penalties for Violations
Criminal penalties are classified under ORS 476.990:9Oregon Public Law. Oregon Revised Statutes 476.990 – Penalties
- Class A misdemeanor for violating fire permit requirements under ORS 476.380 or interfering with a fire inspection under ORS 476.150. This is Oregon’s most serious misdemeanor class, with potential jail time and significant fines.
- Class B misdemeanor for setting fires near structures or timber on the ocean shore, or discarding lighted materials if the conduct ignites a fire or occurs within a forest protection district during fire season.
- Class C misdemeanor for selling or using fire hose couplings and hydrant fittings that fail the state’s standard thread requirements.
- Class A violation for discarding lighted matches, cigarettes, or similar materials in general circumstances where no fire results.
Civil penalties apply in specific regulatory areas. For violations of flammable liquid dispensing regulations, the State Fire Marshal can impose penalties of up to $500 per violation.10Oregon Public Law. Oregon Administrative Rules 837-020-0125 – Violations General and Violation Classes Local jurisdictions that enforce their own fire codes may set separate fee schedules for reinspections and uncorrected violations.
Tax and Insurance Offsets for Upgrades
Fire sprinklers, alarms, and other fire protection equipment installed in a commercial building qualify as Qualified Improvement Property under the federal tax code. For 2026, businesses can deduct up to $2,560,000 under Section 179 for interior improvements to existing commercial buildings, including fire protection and alarm systems. Bonus depreciation at 100% is also available for 2026 with no dollar cap. The property must be placed in service during the tax year to qualify, and the deduction does not apply to building enlargements, elevators, or residential property improvements.
On the insurance side, buildings with automatic sprinkler systems commonly receive premium discounts of 10% to 60%, depending on the insurer. For many commercial property owners, the combination of tax deductions and insurance savings makes a sprinkler system pay for itself faster than expected. If you are weighing a fire protection upgrade, run the numbers with your tax advisor and your insurance carrier before deciding.