HomeMy WebLinkAboutB23-1186 006-670-013 The Barn AMMR Fire PC1 �, - Butte County Fire Department
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10. ' Fire Prevention Bureau
�..' 176 Nelson Avenue Oroville, CA 95965
Office(530) 538-7888 `'-'
www.buttecountv.net/fire •CAL[F 8 9 N I A
Tuesday, December 12, 2023
Breann Moebuis
2150 River Plaza Drive, Suite 450
Sacramento CA, 95833
Re: Christensen Barn Alternate Means and Methods Application
Dear Mrs. Moebuis,
Butte County Fire Department has completed the review of your Alternate Materials and
Methods application for the Christensen Barn Special Events Facility, at 4475 Nord Highway in
Chico. As stated in the application, "The Barn" is classified as a group A-2 occupancy of type V-
B construction with a fire area of 5,971 square feet and an occupancy limit of 225 per use permit
22-0004. Based on the fire area, construction type, occupancy load, and occupancy group, the
2022 California Fire Code(CFC) requires an automatic fire sprinkler system installed in
accordance with section 903.3.1.1.
California Fire Code section 903.3 further details that system design and installation should be
per National Fire Protection Association Handbook 13 (NFPA). NFPA 13R system design and
installation are addressed in CFC 903.3.1.2 and notably, are only permitted in R occupancy
groups. Sprinkler systems designed following NFPA 13R are intended to prevent flashover(total
involvement) in the room of fire origin and to improve the chance for occupants to escape or be
evacuated. The 2021 IEC Code and Commentary further state that"NFPA 13 systems provide
the level of protection associated with adequate fire suppression for all occupancies. NFPA 13R
and NFPA 13D systems are intended more to provide adequate time for egress but not
necessarily for complete suppression of the fire."
NFPA 13R Section 1.1 expresses this limitation, as does the IBC 903.3.1.2. The 2019 NFPA 13R
Handbook Commentary suggests, "NFPA 13R provides a high, but not absolute, level of life
safety and a somewhat lesser degree of property protection. A higher degree of property
protection will be achieved with the installation of an NFPA 13 sprinkler system, which allows
fewer unsprinklered areas and requires a more robust design and installation basis. Where
property protection is the primary objective of the owner or system designer, installation of an
NFPA 13-compliant system should be considered. The building owner or developer is not
limited to using an NFPA 13R system. More and more insurance companies are requiring their
clients to provide NFPA 13 systems for buildings that could be protected with an NFPA 13R
system."
Exceptions for the use of NFPA 13R and 13D systems are addressed throughout the code when
exceptions based on the use of sprinklers are provided. More specifically, if the use of these
other standards is appropriate, it will be noted within the exception. For a building to be
considered "equipped throughout" with an NFPA 13 sprinkler system, complete protection must
be provided in accordance with the referenced standard, subject to the exempt locations indicated
in Section 903.3.1.1.1.
Within your code-basis and NFPA 13R Discussion, it is stated that NFPA 1142, Chapter 4,
Section 4.4 allows for a sprinkler system "that does not fully meet the requirements of NFPA 13,
NFPA 13D, or NFPA 13R". The Butte County Fire Department interprets this section
differently. Similar to Annex B and BB in the California Fire Code, NFPA 1142, Section 4.4.1
permits reductions in required fire flow when structures are sprinkled in accordance with NFPA
13/13R/13D. Section 4.4.2 does not intend to permit a lesser level of sprinkler protection, but to
require the complete fire flow when a partial or limited area system is installed.
It is also worth mentioning that absent from your submittal were any test data, reports from a
recognized institution, or examples of previous installations. While the sections contained within
the California Fire Code and NFPA 13 cannot address every conceivable arrangement of
equipment that is acceptable, they do describe what is not allowed. Based on the review of the
submitted information, the Butte County Fire Department finds that your AMIMR does not
comply with the intent of the applicable code and does not provide an equivalent level of fire and
life safety. Please let me know if you require any further assistance.
Sincerely,
4.4411, 827/
Garrett Sjolund Chris Boyd
Fire Chief Deputy Fire Marshal