Austin City Council approves changes to fire safety code, adding more wildfire protection

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Austin City Council on Thursday approved several amendments to city code that would change building requirements in the city. Those changes included some ways to make Austin more fire-resistant and ready for potential wildfires.

The changes included requiring certain fire-resistant materials to be used when building near green spaces, or requiring larger buffer spaces between buildings and green spaces.

On Thursday, the city council adopted the 2024 Technical Building Code after gathering public feedback last year. The two ordinances related to the fire code were to repeal and replace Article 7 (Fire Code) and Article 8 (Wildland-Urban Interface Code) of City Code Chapter 25-12.

Both council items were approved. Amended codes will become effective July 10, 2025. These changes come after the International Code Council (ICC) implemented its own code updates last year.

Earlier this year, Austin Firefighters Association President Bob Nicks warned that the city could see severe wildfires like the ones that sparked and spread more than 50,000 acres across Los Angeles in a matter of days.

A wildfire analysis report released last fall also found that Texas is ranked third nationally for homes at moderate or greater risk from fires. In Central Texas, Austin ranked the fifth highest metro in the country, whose homes are at heightened risk levels.

The changes from each council item are detailed below, per city documents.

International Fire Code (City Council Agenda Item 39):

"The International Fire Code (IFC) provides minimum requirements to address the design and construction of commercial buildings. The proposed ordinance reduces local amendments and clarifies existing amendments," the recommendation said.

Significant changes for the 2024 International Fire Code include:

• Adds definition and requirements for Flammable Gas; Category 1A and 1B.
• Open parking garage sprinkler requirements.
• Fire protection requirements of storage of lithium batteries in B, F-1, M and S-1 occupancies.

Highlights of the local amendments include:

• Adopting the 2021 IFC requirements for CO detection and systems.
• Deleting Mass Notification requirements for E occupancies
• Animal Care Facility fire protection requirements.
• Maximum allowable quantity for hazardous materials on rooftops.
• Alternative surface fire lane requirements

Wildland-Urban Interface Code (City Council Agenda Item 41)

Some changes were adopted into Austin's Wildland Urban Interface Code (WUIC), a set of rules aimed at helping prevent wildfires from impacting homes in our city, based on updates to the national version.

According to the recommendation, the International Wildland-Urban Interface Code (IWUIC) "provides minimum requirements for structure hardening of residential and commercial buildings to prevent ignition of and spread of wildfire."

The ordinance clarifies local amendments and interpretation and reduces some requirements. Plus, some local amendments were added to address methods to mitigate potential risks in the Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) zone for new development built under the recent Title 25 “HOME” code changes, the recommendation said.

Highlights of the local amendments include:

• Adding the requirement of an Ember Ignition Zone (EIZ);
• Clarifying and codifying current review practices based on evolving construction techniques;
• Formalizing WUI Proximity Zones to clarify structure hardening requirements;
• Ending initial Code launch leniencies;
• Revising the map and including a 0.5-mile buffer from 40 acres or more for the Class C zone; and
• A revised Fire Hazard Severity form.

KXAN, back in February, asked the fire department how much the changes may cost builders. While they couldn’t tell us exactly, they did say: “The proximity zone (distance of wildland) will affect the cost. The code provides options for materials, so the choice of materials will also impact the cost. In summary, Zone A and Zone B have more of a chance to see a cost increase.  Zone C may be the same cost or potentially less.”