In 2022, the B.C. Fire Commissioner's Office reported that residential fires accounted for nearly 89 per cent of fire-related injuries in the province. There are many small actions you can take at home to greatly increase your fire safety.
Help protect you and your family by reviewing the Home Fire Safety Checklist:
The following resources feature valuable safety information:
Fire Prevention Division
The division works out of the Fire Hall offices at 1025 Johnson Street. Public office hours are Monday to Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Fire inspectors visit buildings to ensure they are safe from fire. They check that any fire protection systems are up to date on their required service. Each inspector must have a working knowledge of the current editions of:
the Fire Services Act of BC
the BC Fire Code
the BC Building Code
their referenced documents
The inspection officers are trained fire investigators. They may conduct work outside normal hours and are expected to participate in an on-call rotation. When called, they are required to respond to investigate the cause of fires in Victoria.
Inspectors receive training and attend seminars throughout the year. This training ensures inspectors are up to date on current recommendations from experts and are maintaining their skill level. All inspectors are:
designated as Local Assistants to the Fire Commissioner
trained to National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards
members of the Fire Prevention Officers Association of British Columbia (FPOABC)
members of the International Association of Arson Investigators (IAAI)
Members of the Canadian Association of Arson Investigators (CAFI)
Fire Inspections
The Fire Prevention Division conducts the following inspections:
In British Columbia, the authority for fire services falls under the Fire Services Act [RSBC 1996] Chapter 144. This requires that every municipal council provide a regular system of inspections of hotels and public buildings within the municipality.
These inspections are carried out by one of seven inspectors. As designated inspectors, they are responsible for carrying out the prescribed inspections and enforcement of the British Columbia Fire Code and the Fire Prevention and Regulation Bylaw 14-100.
To prepare for an inspection, consult the Fire Safety Checklist for Business:
The B.C. Fire Code places the responsibility of the administration of the code’s provisions on a building’s owner, or owner’s authorized agent. The Fire Services Act also identifies the owner, occupier or person in charge as the person responsible for complying with orders from the Local Assistant to the Fire Commissioner. If, during an inspection, a deficiency is noted, a correction notice will be given to the responsible person outlining the infraction. The responsible person will be given a timeline as to when they must have all deficiencies corrected by. Failure to correct deficiencies may result in the issuing of a Fire Commissioner’s Order.
The Fire Prevention Division inspects the removal of residential underground oil tanks. Underground oil tanks can have detrimental impacts on the environment and your property, if not properly maintained.
Learn about the permits required and what you need to maintain to remove an underground oil tank:
The average lifespan on an underground oil tank is 15–25 years. Old tanks can corrode and begin to leak hazardous material into the environment. The impact of a leak may violate local, provincial or federal laws and result in fines.
All leaks and risks of leakage must be reported to both the Victoria Fire Department (250.920.3360) and the Province’s Environmental Emergency Program (EEP) at 1.800.663.3456.
The B.C. Fire Code (Section 4.3.16.1(1)) states that the removal, abandonment in place, disposal or temporary taking out of service of an underground oil tank shall be in conformance with good engineering practice. The B.C. Fire Code also states that the owner or owner’s authorized agent is responsible for carrying out the provisions of the Code.
In addition, the City of Victoria has adopted the Fuel Equipment and Storage Bylaw 07-049 which includes additional regulations pertaining to the installation, maintenance, removal and the withdrawing from service of oil tanks
When the removal of your oil tank is complete, you must obtain a final report from your contractor or registered engineer and keep a copy for your records. You may need them to renew your home insurance or file a claim.
To check the property database at the Victoria Fire Department for oil tank information for a specific property, complete an Oil Tank Information Search Consent Form [PDF/252KB] Submit it with the fee to City Hall at 1 Centennial Square, or to the Victoria Fire Department at 1025 Johnson Street Allow a minimum of two business days for processing.
The Fire Prevention Division conducts inspections of mobile commercial cooking operations. The Victoria Fire Department works with the City’s Business Licensing staff to track mobile cooking operations and ensure they are operating safely.
The City of Victoria has amended the Fire Prevention and Regulation Bylaw 14-100. The bylaw now includes language for mobile cooking operations. This new language intends to ensure that operators have installed fire protection and safety systems. It ensures these systems are being maintained to the same standards of operations occupying commercial spaces.
Some key items in the new language include:
Mobile cooking operations must receive an inspection by the Fire Department annually, at which point a decal will be provided for that calendar year.
Mobile cooking operations that produce grease laden vapours must have the appropriate fixed extinguishing, portable extinguishers, and mechanical ventilation installed and maintained as per NFPA 96.
Mobile cooking operations utilizing generators must ensure they are rated by a testing laboratory and protected, properly grounded and used as per manufacturers specifications.
In cases where the cooking operation is located inside a motor vehicle utilizing natural gas or propane, you must install and maintain a gas monitoring detector with alerting capabilities in the event of a leak.
Any tents or awnings must be fire resistant.
Barriers of no less than one metre horizontally and vertically between the cooking appliance and the public must be maintained.
Mobile cooking operations which make use of wood burning appliances are not permitted.
