Fire Safety

Providing inspections, plan review, and code consultation; serving as a fire protection and life safety resource for all UC Berkeley-owned and occupied buildings.

Katherine McCain-Orozco

Interim Director of Fire Prevention, Deputy Fire Marshal, DCFM
Fire & Life Safety
Event Safety
New Construction
Building Plan Review
Building Fire Inspections

Self Closing Flammable Cabinets

Office of Environment, Health & Safety
2025

California Fire Code (CFC) regulations establish the quantity and methods for flammable and combustible liquids storage in research and teaching laboratories.

Flammable & Combustible Liquids Storage In Campus Laboratories

Office of Environment, Health & Safety
2006

California Fire Code (CFC) regulations limit the quantity of flammable and combustible liquids that can be stored in research and teaching laboratories. This fact sheet provides a simplification of the complicated CFC regulations, and establishes standard practice at University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley). For questions not covered in this fact sheet, or for assistance with more complicated issues, please contact the Office of Environment, Health & Safety (EH&S) for situation-specific guidance.

Flammable Liquid Transfer Guidelines

Flammable Liquid Transfer Guidelines

Fire Safety

Providing inspections, plan review, and code consultation; serving as a fire protection and life safety resource for all UC Berkeley-owned and occupied buildings. Fire Safety How Do I:

Amy Chen

DCFM, Designated Campus Fire Marshal
Fire Prevention
Construction Inspection
Building Plan Review

Maximum Allowable Quantities (MAQ) Project

The California Fire Code establishes requirements for Maximum Allowable Quantities (MAQ) of hazardous materials, which ensures amounts used and stored within buildings do not pose fire and life risks. Following the management of hazardous chemicals guidelines issued by the University of California Office of President in 2023, EH&S is implementing the directives outlined in...

Sterno® Chafing Fuel Guidelines

The use of Sterno/chafing fuel is prohibited* unless approved and permitted by the Fire Marshal’s office. The use of Sterno/chafing fuel shall be limited to the individual event covered by request/permit and shall not be construed as establishing any precedent for any future requests or events.

Sterno® is not permitted for use in private office spaces, amphitheaters, sleeping areas, and certain other non-public areas.

These guidelines address both the information needed in the application to successfully apply for a permit and for the safe operating...

Red Flag Warning Guidelines on Game Days

Red Flag Warnings are directed by the National Weather Service when weather conditions are favorable to the rapid spread of wildfires. This warning indicates that critical fire weather conditions are occurring or expected to occur shortly. This condition could be due to low relative humidity, strong winds, dry fuels, or any combination thereof.

The following open flame heat sources are prohibited during Red Flag Warnings:

Open flame cooking devices, charcoal, or other flame...

Labs and Research

Providing support, in the form of risk assessment, review, consultation(link sends e-mail), training, and the necessary resources and guidance for research at UC Berkeley.