Tent and Fire Safety Requirements

The Fire Marshal has informed Ignite Burn organizers that all tents must be made of fire-retardant fabric certified to NFPA 701 standards. This ensures compliance with fire safety regulations and reduces fire risks at the event.

Guidance is still being provided by the local Fire Marshal, as some fire codes allow for interpretation by the Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ). Updates will be shared as more information becomes available.

  • None of this applies to your personal tent, if it is sold by the manufacturer as a tent for personal sleeping use.

  • None of this applies to individual shade structures less than 144 square feet.

  • If two shade structures are within 2 feet of each other, they will be counted as a single shade structure for the purposes of calculating square feet.

  • These requirements do apply to ANY fabric over 144 square feet used to cover an area of your campsite, whether you purchased it as a pop up, canopy, garage, or other structure, or any fabric you purchased so you could make your own shade structure.

  • You will NOT be able to buy a coating you can apply to your fabric to make it fire retardant and meet the requirement. You can find sprays and liquids that are fire retardants, but the city requires the fabric itself to be certified, meaning it has to be tested in a lab that is licensed for this specific testing

Helpful Documents & Resources:

Fire Codes: OUTDOOR ASSEMBLY EVENTS

Virginia Statewide Fire Prevention Code

 

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