The International Fire Code, 2006 Edition, prepared by the International Conference of Building Officials and the Western Fire Chiefs’ Association, is hereby adopted by reference for the purpose of regulation of conditions hazardous to life and property from fire and explosion including the Appendix thereof, as stated in the “City of Chapman Official Copy.” No fewer than three copies of the International Fire Code shall be marked or stamped “Official Copy as Incorporated by the Code of the City of Chapman,” and shall be filed with the city clerk to be open to inspection and available to the public at all reasonable hours of business.

(Code 1987; Ord. 902; Code 2016)

The code hereby adopted shall be enforced by the chief of the fire department.

(Code 1987)

(a)   Wherever the word municipality is used in the code hereby adopted, it shall be held to mean the City of Chapman.

(b)   Article 13, Fireworks, of the Fire Prevention Code is hereby deleted in its entirety.

(Code 1987)

(a)   It shall be unlawful for any person to openly burn any combustible materials, including trash, leaves, lumber, straw, paper, boxes, grass and the like within the city.

(b)   It shall be prima facie evidence that the person who owns or controls property on which open burning occurs has caused or permitted the open burning.

(c)   The provisions of (a) shall not apply to the building of open fires which are for cooking or ceremonial purposes, on public or private lands regularly used for recreational purposes, or when authorized as hereinafter set forth.

(d)   The fire chief is hereby authorized to designate certain dates and times when open burning is permitted within the city, by posting the dates and times in written form at the city building.

(e)   Any open burning which is authorized within the city shall be subject to the Rules for Open Burning which shall be approved by the governing body and posted at city hall or available onine.

(f)   Violation of the Rules for Open Burning shall constitute a class C misdemeanor and may be enforced by any law enforcement officer.

(g)   Any authorized open fire may be extinguished at any time if the fire department has a reasonable belief that the fire poses a risk to persons or property.

(h)   The city may authorize open burning at dates and times outside the posted periods for open burning, on an individual basis. Such individual permits for burning shall be subject to the Rules for Open Burning.

(Ord. 574, Sec. 1; Code 2016; Ord. 1009)

It shall be unlawful for any person to allow to accumulate or to keep in any part of any building or outside of and adjacent to any building or in any alley, sidewalk, street or premises within 30 feet of any building any rubbish, trash, waste paper, excelsior, empty boxes, barrels or other combustibles which shall constitute a fire hazard.

(Code 1961, 6-106; Code 1987)

It shall be unlawful for any person to deposit, stack or store any hay or straw within 500 feet of any building located inside the fire limits of the city.

(Code 1987)

It shall be unlawful to keep excelsior or other packing material in any other than metal or wood metal line boxes or bins having self-closing or automatic covers. All ref use and trash from rooms where packing or unpacking is done shall be removed daily.

(Code 1987)

It shall be unlawful to store ashes inside of any nonfireproof building unless they are stored in a noncombustible container or receptacle, and a clearance of at least five feet shall be maintained between such container or receptacle and any combustible materials not placed therein. Ashes shall not be stored outside of any building in wooden, plastic, or paper product receptacles or dumped in contact with or in close proximity to any combustible materials.

(Code 1987)

The engines of motor vehicles shall be stopped when the gasoline tanks of such vehicles are being filled with gasoline at service stations or other places where gasoline is supplied to motor vehicles. The driver or person in control of such vehicle when the gasoline tank of same is being filled who ref uses, neglects or f ails to stop the engine of such vehicle shall likewise be guilty of a violation of this code.

(Code 1987)

It is unlawful for any person to cause or create anywhere within the city, or to permit on any premises under his or her control, any situation or condition that is conducive to or likely to cause or permit the outbreak of fire or the spreading of fire. Any situation or condition conducive to the outbreak of or spreading of fire, is declared to be a fire hazard. The violation of or failure to comply with any law pertaining to the storage, handling or use of inflammable oils, explosives, liquefied petroleum gases, or fertilizers and all wires and other conductors charged with electricity, is declared to be a fire hazard. The placing of stools, chairs or any other obstruction in the aisles, hallways, doorway, or exit of any theater, public hall, auditorium, church or other place of indoor public assemblage, or the failure to provide any such place of public assemblage with sufficient, accessible and unobstructed fire exits and escapes is also declared to be a fire hazard. The obstruction of any street, avenue, alley, fire hydrant or any other condition that might delay the fire department in fighting fire is declared to be unlawful.

(Code 1961, 6-103; Code 1987)

It shall be the duty of the fire chief to inspect or cause to be inspected by fire department officers or members, as often as may be necessary, all buildings, particularly all mercantile buildings, manufacturing plants, warehouses, garages, hotels, boarding houses, rooming houses, theaters, auditoriums and all places of public assemblage, for the purpose of discovering the violation of any fire preventive law or any fire hazard and ascertaining and causing to be corrected any conditions liable to cause fires and to see that all places of public assemblage, hotels and rooming houses have sufficient and unobstructed facilities for escape therefrom in case of fire.

(Code 1961, 6-108; Code 1987)

Whenever any officer or member of the fire department shall find or discover any fire hazard or shall find in any building or upon any premises combustible or explosive material or dangerous accumulation of rubbish or unnecessary accumulation of paper, boxes, shavings or any other inflammable material, so situated as to endanger property by the probability of f ire, or shall find or discover any violation of this chapter or any other law hazardous to public safety from fires, the fire chief shall order the fire hazard or danger from the fire forthwith abated and remedied and such order shall be complied with immediately by the owner or occupant of such buildings or premises. If the hazard or condition ordered abated and remedied is a violation of, or a failure to comply with any law, the fire chief shall report the matter to the city attorney and he or she shall, if he or she deems it advisable, prosecute the offender.

(Code 1987)

Any order made under section 7-212 shall be in writing and may be served personally upon the owner or occupant of the premises or by leaving it with any person in charge of the premises or if the premises are unoccupied and the owner is a nonresident of the city, then by mailing a copy to the owner’s last known post-office address. One notice to either the occupant or owner shall be sufficient. The f ire chief shall keep a record of and copies of all such orders and notices and shall follow up such notices at the expiration of the time for compliance therewith and when complied with make proper entry, and if not complied with, file complaint with the municipal court against the proper ty owner and/or occupant.

(Code 1987)