Are NC apartments required to have sprinklers? Here’s what the law says
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Fire code requires sprinklers for apartments up to 4 stories since 2006.
- State law requires smoke and carbon monoxide alarms per unit and annual inspections.
- Inspections commonly find missing extinguishers, faulty alarms, power-strip/cord issues.
Apartments buildings built after 2006 are required to have sprinkler systems and fire extinguishers, according to state law.
About 70 residents were displaced and six people were treated for injuries, including one person taken the hospital, during a fire at a Morrisville apartment complex Monday, Feb. 23 night.
However, sprinkler systems are not required in the attics of multifamily buildings, North Carolina State Fire Marshal Brian Taylor told The News & Observer.
“What we see in a lot of these apartment complexes that burn heavy like that is they may start out on a balcony or outside, and run the side of the building and get into the attic,” Taylor said.
Morrisville apartment fire
The three-alarm fire began shortly before 6 p.m. at the Camden Westwood Apartments, 2100 Summit Ridge Loop, according to the town of Morrisville.
The building that burned had a sprinkler system, and the cause of the fire remains unknown and is under investigation, according to the town of Morrisville.
“Our fire investigation unit is assisting Wake County with that fire,” Taylor said. “So I don’t have any details on the calls, but I can tell you, I can see that that was an external fire which ran the side of that building into the attic, which there was nothing that could stop that fire. It’s why it moved so rapidly.”
Nonprofits, including the American Red Cross and NeighborUp, have organized fundraisers and collected supplies for residents who have been displaced.
Are sprinklers required in NC apartments?
The North Carolina Fire Prevention Code applies to all new and existing commercial properties except single-family and two-family houses. That code requires sprinkler systems for apartments regardless of how tall they are if they are built after 2006, Taylor said.
“Home fire sprinklers are a crucial, life-saving technology, since the risk of dying in a reported home fire is 85% lower if sprinklers are present,” according to the National Fire Protection Association.
There’s been a push nationally to require sprinklers in attics of hotels and apartment complexes, but that can cause problems with lines freezing or breaking during colder months, Taylor said.
“We want to protect those residents, but we get into a situation where there’s not a way to protect (the pipes) from freezing and then causing damage from the water line breaks,” he said. “ ... We don’t see that (rule) changing anytime soon.”
State law requires apartments to have smoke alarms and at least one carbon monoxide alarm per rental unit, and to undergo an annual inspection.
The News & Observer submitted a public records request seeking any recent or annual inspections at Camden Westwood.
Common fire prevention violations
The Mecklenburg County Fire Marshal’s Office provided a list of violations the office sees during routine fire inspections for commercial properties, including apartment buildings.
Here are common violations:
- Fire extinguishers are not provided or have been served or properly mounted.
- Exit signs are not illuminated or emergency lights aren’t working in power failure modes.
- Fire alarms or fire sprinkler systems are not serviced or don’t work.
- Marked exits are blocked.
- There are excessive uses of temporary extension cords or power stripes.
Some of the most common causes of fires in high-density areas is smoking or grilling near buildings or on balconies, Taylor said.
“A lot of those apartment complexes have rules against that, but we need to be sure that residents are cognizant about those to make sure that’s not being done,” he said. “Because that is where we see a lot of those fires.”
