Kalamazoo, MI Fire Regulations: Propane Storage (2026)
Key Facts
- Restricted activity
- Bulk LP-gas storage
- Boundary
- Downtown-area limits fixed by § 15-43 Subsection A
- Same boundary also bars
- New bulk flammable-liquid plants
- Individual tank rules
- Not printed locally; governed by adopted IFC/state rules
- Penalty
- Misdemeanor, up to $500 fine or 90 days
- Modification authority
- Chief of Dept. of Public Safety, § 15-44
Summary
In the City of Kalamazoo, bulk storage of liquefied petroleum gas is restricted within a specific downtown-area boundary set out in the Fire Prevention Code, the same zone where new bulk plants for flammable liquids and outdoor aboveground flammable-liquid tanks are barred. The Chief of the Department of Public Safety enforces the restriction under the adopted International Fire Code.
§ 15-43. Establishment of limits referred to in Uniform Fire Code. A. The limits referred to in Section 5704 of the International Fire Code adopted by this article, in which storage of flammable liquids in outside aboveground tanks is prohibited, are hereby established to be the following area in the City: beginning at a point on the center line of Stockbridge Avenue and Mills Street; thence north on the center line of Mills Street to the center line of East Vine Street ... thence east ... to the point of beginning. ... ... C. The limits in which bulk storage of liquefied petroleum gas is restricted are hereby established to be the area set forth in Subsection A above.
Full Breakdown
Kalamazoo City Code § 15-43 establishes the geographic limits referenced by Section 5704 of the adopted 2021 International Fire Code. Subsection A draws a boundary beginning at the center line of Stockbridge Avenue and Mills Street and running through dozens of named streets, including Vine Street, Riverview Drive, Gull Road, Westnedge Avenue, Burdick Street, and Academy Street, back to the point of beginning; within that area, outdoor aboveground storage tanks for Class I and Class II flammable liquids are prohibited unless enclosed in a Chief-approved reinforced concrete vault.
Subsection B bars any new bulk plant for flammable liquids within that same boundary, and Subsection C extends the identical boundary to bulk storage of liquefied petroleum gas, providing that the limits in which bulk storage of liquefied petroleum gas is restricted are hereby established to be the area set forth in Subsection A above. The city's own code text does not print a separate tank-size or gallon threshold for LP-gas storage outside that zone; that leaves the numeric handling, spacing and installation standards for individual propane tanks, including residential grill and heating cylinders, governed by the balance of the adopted International Fire Code and the Michigan Department of State Police storage-and-handling rules for flammable and combustible liquids referenced in § 15-41(25).
The Chief of the Department of Public Safety enforces the article through the Bureau of Fire Prevention and may modify strict compliance under § 15-44 upon written application showing practical difficulty, while a person denied a permit can appeal to the Building Board of Appeals within 30 days under § 15-46.
Violations & Fines
Violating the bulk-storage limits in § 15-43, including operating a new bulk LP-gas or flammable-liquid plant inside the restricted boundary, is a misdemeanor under § 15-47: up to 90 days in jail, a fine of up to $500, or both, with each day the condition continues treated as a separate offense. The City may also seek an injunction or the forced removal of a noncompliant tank or plant.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where in Kalamazoo is bulk propane storage restricted?
Does Kalamazoo's code set a gallon limit for my home propane tank?
Who enforces the propane storage boundary?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Kalamazoo
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