Fire Marshal’s Office
Protecting life and property before emergencies happen.
We provide community safety education, enforcement of fire, building and life safety codes, investigation of fire causes for criminal, or product recall follow up and the application of adopted codes to construction projects.
Protect Your Family from Residential Fires: Top Causes and Prevention
Unattended Cooking: The #1 Cause
Unattended cooking is the leading cause of residential fires in Washington State, responsible for up to 49% of home fire incidents in recent years. Most kitchen fires involve leaving the area while food is cooking—especially with hot oils or when combustibles are too close to burners.
Safety Tip: Stay in the kitchen while cooking, and keep anything that can catch fire (towels, oven mitts, paper, food packaging) at least three feet away from heat sources.
Smoking Materials: A Major Fire Threat
Improperly discarded smoking materials account for about 5% of residential fires, yet they are the number two cause of all fires in Washington State.
Safety tip: Always dispose of cigarette butts in water or sand, in a sturdy, noncombustible container. Never throw smoking materials out windows or into soil, planters, or trash cans.
Heating Equipment: 13% of Residential Fires
Space heaters, wood stoves, and chimneys not cleaned in the past year contribute to roughly 13% of home fires. Fires often start when combustibles are left too close or maintenance is neglected.
Safety tip: Ensure a minimum 3-foot clearance around all heaters and heat sources. Schedule professional inspections and cleanings for chimneys and wood stoves annually. If furniture was moved in front of a heater during warm months, move it before using heat in fall or winter.
Electrical Malfunctions: Silent and Serious
Approximately 10% of home fires are caused by electrical failures.
Safety tip: Do not overload outlets or circuits. Inspect attic and crawlspaces for rodent-damaged wires. Investigate any unexplained popping sounds, burns, or odors near outlets or circuit breakers. Stop using any cord, outlet, or breaker if it feels hot. Be alert for product recalls on appliances and chargers. Never use 12-volt charging cords on devices for which they’re not designed.
Services
- Administering fire safety education
- Fire cause determination
- Inspection of business and multi-family occupancies
- Plan review and inspection of new construction for fire code compliance
Inquiries may be sent to vanfmo@cityofvanouver.us
Business Inspection Information
The Fire Marshal’s Office maintains an inspection database of businesses, buildings and facilities within the City limits. This database contains:
- Property ownership information
- Construction and fire protection features
- Business owner information
- Emergency response history
- Current and historical inspection records
- Other important records
Each building, suite and/or business has a unique record I.D. number. It is important that the contact information is up to date. This information is often used to contact a responsible party after hours to notify them of a fire or other emergency.
Fire Code Permits are required to install and/or operate hazard categories regulated by the Fire Code. Typically, a Fire Code Officer will provide a link to the application form.
Once the application is processed and approved through a fire inspection, the permit will be issued. If you were not directed to apply for a permit, please consult with our office before applying. vanfmo@cityofvancouver.us
Unwanted Alarm Reduction
Responding to unwanted alarms diminishes the Fire Department’s readiness to respond to emergencies where minutes count.
The VFD has responded to as many as 1,700 unwanted alarms annually during the past several years. While examining the unwanted alarm data, a trend was identified that indicated an increasingly upward movement of unwanted alarms each year.
Since a large percentage of these alarm signals alarms are preventable, the Fire Marshal’s Office is asking everyone to take proactive measures to reduce false calls for the 9-1-1 dispatching center and emergency service personnel.
- For single family residents, call your monitoring company immediately if you accidentally create a false/ unwanted alarm. If the signal was already sent, call 311 and let them know to cancel the emergency responders if appropriate.
- For businesses, this means having your fire alarm and sprinkler systems inspected, tested and maintained by an endorsed fire protection system contractor on an annual basis
Citizen Access Portal
Use the Citizen Access Portal to conduct a variety of business tasks with the Fire Marshal’s Office.
Without registration you can
- Submit a declaration
- View a current list of Endorsed Fire Protection Contractors
- Securely pay invoices
With registration you can
- View inspection results
- Apply for fire code operational permits
Invoices
To pay invoices or view the contractor list you do not need to log in or register, you can use the invoice number or the inspection number.
Declarations
To process an inspection, just use the link in the correction notice provided to the fire inspector. There you may affirm and declare that the fire code violations have been corrected. Logging in is not required
Recreational burn ban lifted
Due to cooler and rainier conditions, the Vancouver Fire Department will lift its recreational burn ban on Wednesday, Oct. 1.
All outdoor burning of things like brush/vegetation and garbage is still prohibited within city limits and violators may be subject to a citation/fine.
The burn ban originally took effect on June 13 due to dry conditions.
Media contact: Heidi Scarpelli, Vancouver Fire Marshal, 360 833-3418, vanfmo@cityofvancouver.us