Disclaimer: This web site is provided for informational purposes
only. Although every effort has been made to provide accuracy, all
information and resources shown are not official. Neither Kittitas
County nor any of its agencies, officials or employees guarantees
the accuracy of any information on this web site. Reliance upon the
information contained on or accessed through this web site is
entirely at your own risk. Kittitas County reserves the right to
make changes without notice. The official hard copy is available in the Commissioners' office.
20.01.010 Fire district.
The Chief of the Fire District, or his/her authorized designee, is
authorized to implement a burn permit system and take such lawful action,
including the writing and issuance of citations for civil infractions, as may be
required to enforce the provisions of the outdoor burning ordinance codified in
this title. (Ord. 2010-005, 2010)
20.01.020 Fire Marshal.
The Fire Marshal is authorized to render interpretations of the codes, as
mandated by state law and adopted by Kittitas County, and make and enforce such
rules and regulations for the prevention and control of fires and fire hazards
necessary to carry out the application and intent of this code. (Ord. 2010-005, 2010)
20.01.030 Stop work order.
Whenever any work is being done contrary to the provisions of the
International Fire Code, International Building Code, International Property
Maintenance Code, International Mechanical Code or the Kittitas County Code,
which pertain to fire and life safety, the Fire Marshal may order the work
stopped by notice in writing served on any person engaged in the doing or
causing such work to be done, or by posting such notice in a conspicuous place
on the premises where the violation is occurring, and any such person shall stop
such work until authorized by the Fire Marshal to proceed with the work.
Whenever any work is being done contrary to the provisions of this code, the
Fire Marshal may order the violations corrected without ordering all work
stopped by issuing a correction notice which identifies the violation. The
correction notice may require re-inspection prior to further construction. The
correction notice shall be served or posted in the same manner as the Stop Work
Order. (Ord. 2010-005, 2010)
20.01.040 Limited commission.
The County Sheriff or his/her designee may appoint deputies from the Fire
Marshal's Office. Such officers shall have the power of citation as may be
appropriate and necessary for the proper performance of the duties of their
office. Upon such appointment being made, the County Sheriff shall issue to the
appointee a limited commission card. The appointment shall continue until the
appointee is permanently terminated from county employment, but may be revoked
at any time by the County Sheriff. (Ord. 2010-005, 2010)
20.01.050 Violations--penalties.
All violations of this Title shall be through Title 18.
Penalties shall be as defined in Title 18. (Ord. 2010-005, 2010)
20.02.010 Definitions. Fire apparatus access road--An approved route that is always
available for use by fire trucks and emergency services apparatus, and is
designed to meet fire equipment load and access requirements. (Ord. 2010-005, 2010)
20.02.020 Grade.
No fire apparatus access road hereafter created shall have a grade or slope
greater than 12%, unless a variance has been granted through the County variance
process. Any variance which allows a grade greater than 12% shall have the
following condition attached:
Any road with a slope or grade greater than 12% shall have an increase
in width of 50%.
Other conditions may be required by the Fire Marshal.
Fire apparatus access roadways shall not be required where there are not more
than two Group R, Division 3 or Group U occupancies as defined in the
International Fire Code. Any commercial operation shall have an approved fire
apparatus access. (Ord. 2010-005, 2010)
20.02.030 Driveways.
A driveway shall serve no more than two residences. Any County driveway
hereafter created longer than 150' in length shall have a width of no less than
16 feet. County driveways less than 150' in length shall have a width of no less
than 12 feet. (Ord. 2010-005, 2010)
20.02.040 Fire lanes.
Fire lanes shall remain clear from obstructions, including snow
accumulations, vehicles, and any other impediment to emergency services response. (Ord. 2010-005, 2010)
20.02.050 Bridges.
Any bridge or box culvert hereafter erected, modified, altered or repaired
shall meet a live load bearing of no less than 75,000 lbs. All box culvert,
bridge designs, and load ratings shall be stamped by a registered professional
engineer in the State of Washington. An approved sign with the load rating shall
be posted on the ingress side of the bridge.
Exception: Repairs of less than one fourth of the bridge, with
no structural elements included in the repair. (Ord. 2010-005, 2010)
20.03.010 Definitions. Private Road--An access road serving 3 or more lots,
residences or multi-family units, that is privately owned and maintained for the
use of the owner(s) or those having expressed or implied permission from the
owner(s). (Ord. 2010-005, 2010)
20.03.020 Gates.
Any gate hereafter installed on any private road within Kittitas County
shall meet the following conditions:
The width of the gate shall be no less than 16 feet,
Any locking mechanism must be approved by the Fire Marshal,
The locking mechanism shall be electronic or key operated, with a Fire
Marshal approved key box located at the gate,
Any electronic codes for the gate shall be given to the fire district
and left in the approved key box. Upon any change to the code, the fire
district shall be notified immediately as to the new code, and the key box
shall be updated.
A permit shall be issued by the Fire Marshal prior to the commencement
of any work. (Ord. 2010-005, 2010)
20.04.010 Key boxes.
A Key Box shall be installed on all buildings, occupancies or premises that
are equipped with a fire protection system, and all other buildings or
appurtenances where immediate access may be necessary, including gates to
private communities, private roads, etc. The key box shall be an approved type
and installed in a location recommended by the Fire Marshal and shall contain
keys or codes to gain necessary access.
Exception: Single family residences not used as a bed and
breakfast, duplexes, and other type R-2 occupancies which do not meet the
minimum requirements as listed above, are exempt. (Ord. 2010-005, 2010)
20.05.010 Authority.
The Fire Marshal, or his/her designee, is authorized to inspect the
following nonresidential occupancies in unincorporated Kittitas County;
Hospitals;
Nursing homes;
Assisted living facilities;
Medical Centers;
Schools;
Daycare facilities;
Any other recreational and/or educational centers, including but not
limited to camps, riding arenas, etc.;
Retail stores;
Business offices;
Dining and entertainment establishments;
Industrial and manufacturing facilities;
Special events located in nonresidential occupancies;
Special events located in residential occupancies where a special event
permit has been issued;
Repair garages and automotive maintenance garages;
Places of assembly;
Spray booth facilities; and
All other nonresidential occupancies which may pose a fire or life
safety hazard to the public or employees, or as listed in the International
Fire Code, as adopted in Title 14.
The Fire Marshal, or his/her designee, is also authorized to inspect the
following residential occupancies in unincorporated Kittitas County;
The common areas of apartments and condominiums;
Commercial Vacation rentals;
Lodges, hotels and motels;
Mobile home parks; and
Recreational Vehicle parks
Exceptions:
The Fire Marshal or Deputy Fire Marshal will not make entrance into the
individual apartment or condominium units unless a specific request is made
by the occupant or owner of the property. A landlord may not grant
permission to enter a premise that has a tenant.
Single family residences and duplexes shall not be regulated under this
code. (Ord. 2010-005, 2010)
20.05.020 Process.
Any public or private business, including any building or property
associated with such business to which the public or employees may make entrance
into or upon, shall be required to have an annual fire and life safety
inspection. Fire and life safety inspections shall occur during business hours
of the business or Monday through Friday, at the discretion of the Fire Marshal.
Inspections may or may not be scheduled prior to inspection of the premises.
Each business is responsible for payment of the fees assessed for the annual
Fire and Life Safety inspection. Failure to pay the fee set by the County for an
annual inspection may result in enforcement action as adopted by
Title 18 of the
Kittitas County Code. Nothing in this title shall limit the remedies available
to the County as set forth in the International Fire Code, International
Property Maintenance Code or other County Ordinance or state law. (Ord. 2010-005, 2010)
20.05.030 Operational permits.
Any business or person engaging in any type of operation as defined in
Section 105.6 of the International Fire Code shall first apply for and receive
an Operational Permit from the Fire Marshal. Inspections of the type of
operation shall be required on an annual basis. The permit is valid for a
prescribed time period, or until such time as it is revoked by the Fire Marshal. (Ord. 2010-005, 2010)
20.05.031 Permits for
temporary businesses.
Any temporary or seasonal business shall be required to apply for and
receive a Temporary Operational Permit prior to opening for business.
Applications shall be received by the Fire Marshal's Office no later than 14
days prior to the date the business is to begin operations. A fire and life
safety inspection shall be conducted prior to the business opening to the
public. (Ord. 2010-005, 2010)
20.05.040 Construction permits.
A construction permit is required when a safety related system or hazardous
material storage is installed or an existing system or facility is modified, as
stated in Section 105.7 of the International Fire Code. A plan review of the
installation shall be approved prior to the installation of the system. An
inspection of the system shall be conducted by the fire inspector prior to
system initiation. (Ord. 2010-005, 2010)
20.05.050 Assembly/special event permits.
Public assembly/special event permits are required for events held inside a
structure or outdoors where people may be confined by fences, walls, buildings,
trees, or are located in any area where egress may not be adequate.
Assembly/Special Event Permits are required for events including but not limited
to trade shows, exhibits, conventions, meetings, food festivals, farmer's
markets, street fairs, art festivals, music festivals, or similar functions. The
following criteria apply when determining whether an Assembly/Special Event
Permit is required:
The calculated load is 50 people or greater,
These gatherings are not physically laid out in accordance with floor
plans approved as part of the annual fire and life safety inspections.
Exceptions:
An Assembly/Special Event permit is not required for events at public
assemblages which conform to seating plans approved under the annual fire
and life safety permit. If the seating plan is altered for the gathering, a
permit is required.
Inspections for these events shall occur prior to the event opening, and may,
by nature of the event, need to be conducted on weekends or after normal
business hours. (Ord. 2010-005, 2010)
20.05.060 Fees.
Fees shall be set by resolution of the Board of County Commissioners.
Failure to pay the fee set by the County or receive a passing inspection shall
be grounds for revocation of a permit granted under sections KCC
20.05.030 and
20.05.031, or enforcement as adopted by Title 18 of the Kittitas County Code. (Ord. 2010-005, 2010)
Portable generator--a generator which can be moved at any
time, is hooked up to a fuel line, has to be manually started and hooked up to
the building loads.
Whole-house generator--also known as a stationary or standby
generator is permanently set in one location, can start immediately either by
push of a button or automatically because it is already hooked into the house
wiring and to the fuel source. (Ord. 2010-005, 2010)
20.06.020 Authority.
The Fire Marshal or his/her designee is authorized to permit and inspect the
installation of stationary, whole-house generators placed within the
unincorporated areas of Kittitas County. (Ord. 2010-005, 2010)
20.06.030 Permits.
A permit shall be required prior to the installation of a whole-house
generator. The installation shall comply with the National Electrical Code
(NEC), NFPA 54 and NFPA Gas codes, ICC/IRC/IFC and other provisions affecting
life safety.
Exception: A permit is not required for the placement or use
of a portable generator.
A separate permit is required for any placement of, or modification to a
natural gas or LPG system. (Ord. 2010-005, 2010)
Sections 20.07.010 Authority. 20.07.020 Piles of natural vegetation for burning. 20.07.030 Recreational fires.
20.07.010 Authority.
The Fire Marshal or his/her designee may deem a property or condition on a
property as a fire hazard. (Ord. 2010-005, 2010)
20.07.020 Piles of natural vegetation for burning.
Piles of natural vegetation for burning shall be no greater than 10' in
diameter, and no more than 10' in height. If prior approval is obtained by the
Fire Marshal and local fire district, pile sizes may be increased. It shall be
the responsibility of the property owner to contact the local fire district to
determine if a permit will be required, as well as to notify the fire district
upon commencement of burning.
The following rules shall apply to all Outdoor Burning at all times:
The burning of garbage, trash, rubbish, or utilization of burn barrels,
etc. is illegal;
No open burning within 50 feet of any structure or combustible material;
Pile size shall be no greater than 10' in diameter, unless prior
approval to increase pile size is obtained from the Fire Marshal and fire
district;
No more than one pile may be burned on any property at the same time;
Piles may be stored on a property no longer than twelve months;
Conditions that may cause the fire to spread shall be eliminated prior
to ignition;
No open burning shall occur when wind speeds or gusts exceed 10 mph,
unless prior approval is obtained by the Fire Marshal and local fire
district:
A person capable of utilizing fire extinguishing equipment such as
buckets, shovels, garden hoses connected to a water supply, fire
extinguishers, heavy equipment, etc., shall be on site at all times; and
Fire extinguishing equipment such as buckets, shovels, garden hoses
connected to a water supply, fire extinguishers, heavy equipment or any
equipment that will provide suppression of the proposed fire, shall be on
site at all times while the fire is burning. (Ord. 2010-005, 2010)
20.07.030 Recreational fires.
Recreational fires are allowed in unincorporated areas of Kittitas County,
provided that no restrictions or burn bans are in effect.
The following rules for Recreational Fires shall apply at all times:
Recreational fires, camp fires, cook fires, etc. shall be no greater
than 3' x 3' in diameter and no more than 2' in height;
No recreational fires shall be located within 25 feet of any structure;
A person capable of utilizing fire extinguishing equipment such as
buckets, shovels, garden hoses connected to a water supply, fire
extinguishers, heavy equipment, etc., shall be on site at all times; and
Fire extinguishing equipment such as buckets, shovels, garden hoses
connected to a water supply, fire extinguishers, heavy equipment or any
equipment that will provide suppression of the proposed fire, shall be on
site at all times while the fire is burning. (Ord. 2010-005, 2010)
When the Fire Marshal determines it is the public interest, the Fire
Marshal may establish a prohibition against burning in incinerators, open
burning and recreational fires as defined in the 2009 International Fire
Code adopted in Title 14. The Fire Marshal shall notify the Board upon
implementation of the burn ban, and provide the Board with a Resolution
implementing the burn ban within 14 days. In the event that the Fire
Districts in a particular zone as set in KCC 20.08.020, believe that a burn
ban is warranted they may submit a written recommendation to the Fire
Marshal, which the Fire Marshal shall forward to the Board of County
Commissioners with his or her own recommendation.
The Kittitas County Fire Marshal may rescind the establishment of a burn
ban or modify the condition of a burn ban when necessary. The Fire Marshal
shall present to the Board the recommendations as to such action.
The Kittitas County Fire Marshal may grant campgrounds or special events
an exemption to a burn ban upon application to the county Fire Marshal and
the payment of a processing fee in the amount of sixty-five dollars per hour
with a minimum of one hour. Any exemption shall contain such conditions as
the Fire Marshal and Fire District deems necessary to mitigate the concerns
for extreme fire hazard. Such exemptions and conditions shall be in writing
and included in the Exemption permit issued by the Fire Marshal's Office. A
copy of the permit shall be prominently posted at the burning site. An
Exemption Permit issued by the Fire Marshal shall satisfy the requirements
for the Fire District where the property is located. (Ord. 2010-005, 2010)
20.08.020 Fire district zones established.
The following zones are hereby established for burn ban initiation and
implementation.
Zone 1--Kittitas Valley Fire and Rescue and Fire District 4
Zone 2--Fire District 1
Zone 3--Fire District 3, Fire District 6 and Fire District 7
Zone 4--Fire District 8 and Fire District 51
These zones are established for ease in the implementation of a burn ban and
are not a limit on the Board's authority to specify different boundaries in
imposing such bans. (Ord. 2010-005, 2010)
20.08.030 Open burning prohibited.
It is unlawful to engage in burning in any unincorporated area in Kittitas
County in an incinerator, open fire or recreational fire after the Kittitas
County Fire Marshal has established a burn ban and prior to the ban being lifted
unless such burning is conducted in accordance with a written the Exemption
Permit pursuant to Section 20.02.020.
If the land or property is outside of a fire district, no recreational fires
shall be allowed during burn bans.
Exception: The Department of Natural Resources may allow
recreational fires in designated campgrounds with approved fire pits on DNR
protected lands located outside of a fire district. (Ord. 2010-005, 2010)
Sections 20.09.010 Amendments to the International Fire Code 2009 Edition. 20.09.020 Fire protection systems - standards - amendments.
20.09.010 Amendments to the International Fire Code 2009 Edition.
The following amendments to the International Fire Code, as adopted in
Washington State RCW 19.27 and Kittitas County Code
Title 14 are hereby adopted.
To the extent allowed by
RCW 19.27.040, if a conflict exists between the
provisions of the International Fire Code adopted and amended by the Washington
State Building Code Council and the Kittitas County Code, the Kittitas County
Code provisions shall govern. (Ord. 2010-005, 2010)
20.09.020 Fire protection systems
- standards - amendments.
International Fire Code Section 901.6.1 is amended as follows:
901.6.1 Standards. Fire Protection Systems shall be inspected, tested and
maintained in accordance with the referenced standards listed in Table 901.6.1.
Additionally, personnel shall have the following certifications if servicing a
system in the unincorporated areas of Kittitas County:
Disclaimer: This web site is provided for informational purposes
only. Although every effort has been made to provide accuracy, all
information and resources shown are not official. Neither Kittitas
County nor any of its agencies, officials or employees guarantees
the accuracy of any information on this web site. Reliance upon the
information contained on or accessed through this web site is
entirely at your own risk. Kittitas County reserves the right to
make changes without notice. The official hard copy is available in the Commissioners' office.
