Gainesville enforces the Florida Fire Prevention Code, 8th Edition, which adopts NFPA 1 (Fire Code) and NFPA 101 (Life Safety Code) by reference. The Florida Fire Prevention Code mirrors the IFC §308.1.4 prohibition on open-flame cooking and LP-gas cylinders over 1 pound on combustible balconies in buildings with 3 or more dwelling units (NFPA 1 Section 10.10). Single-family backyard grilling is unrestricted. NFPA 58 governs LP-gas cylinder storage. UF-area apartment complexes are a major enforcement focus.
Gainesville fire code enforcement is grounded in the Florida Fire Prevention Code, adopted under Fla. Stat. § 633.202 by the State Fire Marshal, with current edition the 8th (effective alongside the 2023 Florida Building Code). The Florida Fire Prevention Code adopts NFPA 1 Fire Code and NFPA 101 Life Safety Code by reference, both with Florida amendments. Enforcement is by Gainesville Fire Rescue (GFR) Fire Marshal's office under Fla. Stat. § 633.118 (local authority) coordinated with the Florida State Fire Marshal (Department of Financial Services) under Fla. Stat. Chapter 633. NFPA 1 Section 10.10 (Gainesville's IFC-equivalent provision) prohibits open-flame cooking devices, charcoal burners, and other open-flame appliances on combustible balconies or within 10 feet of combustible construction in any structure containing 3 or more dwelling units. Exceptions: one- and two-family dwellings; balconies served by an automatic sprinkler system (NFPA 13 or 13R); listed electric grills; and listed LP-gas grills with cylinders not exceeding 1 pound. The University of Florida and Santa Fe College student-housing market — including high-rise and mid-rise complexes along SW 13th Street, Archer Road, Newberry Road, NW 13th Street, and University Avenue, plus Midtown, Sorority Row, and the College Park corridor — falls squarely under this rule and is a focus of GFR life-safety inspections. NFPA 58 (Liquefied Petroleum Gas Code) adopted via the Florida Fire Prevention Code governs LP-gas cylinder storage: cylinders larger than 1 pound must be stored outdoors, upright, in a ventilated area, at least 5 feet from building openings. Indoor cylinder storage in basements or garages is prohibited. At single-family homes, backyard grilling is unrestricted by city code. Public grilling in Gainesville parks is permitted only in designated grilling areas.
Use of prohibited grill on multi-unit balcony: Gainesville Fire Rescue citation, removal order, and possible lease violation by the landlord — common in UF-area complexes. Indoor propane cylinder storage: NFPA 58 violation, civil penalty under Fla. Stat. § 633.222 (State Fire Marshal authority), and mandatory cylinder removal. Fires causing property damage create personal liability and possible criminal charges under Fla. Stat. § 806.01 et seq. (arson statutes) for reckless conduct. Repeat violations escalate to administrative orders by the State Fire Marshal.
Gainesville, FL
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