****LEGAL NOTICE****
Change In Fire Code Prohibits Grills On Decks For Some Residents Of Apartments And Condos
A newly revised Connecticut State Fire Prevention Code, which took effect May 7, prohibits the use and storage of any type of grill or cooking device on decks, beneath overhangs or within 10 feet of the building.
The prohibition covers all multi-family housing. This is basically everything but one and two-family homes. This change will include condominiums, depending upon the type of structure. Local fire marshals have sent out, or are busy preparing notifications to building owners and condo associations in some towns. In others, local fire marshals who were not aware of the change said they expect it would have a substantial impact on their communities.
The code exempts those condos from the grill ban that are "multiple single-family dwellings attached side-by-side (townhouses) not more than three stories in height with each dwelling having a separate means of egress."
This change comes from the revision that was done in 2012 to NFPA 1. This was the version Connecticut state officials used during an 18-month review which ended with adoption and publication of the state's revised fire prevention code in May.
The previous code contained language on the proper size and storage of gas canisters, and adherence to manufacturers' instructions on use and storage of all cooking devices – such as, keeping the grill 3-to-10 feet from the building -- it did not specially prohibit the use and storage of all cooking and heating devices from balconies in multi-family units.
The state plans to begin training sessions on the new code in October for local fire marshals.