• The Fire Inspector will arrive at your property in person to perform the inspection. The homeowner, property manager or a representative must be present to meet the inspector and help facilitate the inspection.

• The Fire Inspector will walk through the residence to ensure all requirements outlined by the Town of Truckee, or Placer County, (depending on your property’s location), have been met.

• The Fire Inspector will also do a thorough exterior inspection of your property’s defensible space to ensure you meet the requirements outlined by PRC-4291. Both the interior AND exterior are performed together in one inspection.

• It is important to know where your property is located to ensure appropriate payment of inspection fees.

• The majority of the properties within our Fire District are located within the incorporated Town of Truckee.

• Some neighborhoods are located within unincorporated Placer County including, Serene Lakes, many properties along Donner Lake and in Sierra Meadows, and all properties located within Schaffer’s Mill, Lahontan, and Martis Camp.

• YES! The homeowner, property manager or a representative needs to be present during the inspection to unlock doors and show the inspector into the home.

• The Fire Inspector inspector will not go inside anyone’s home without someone on site to meet them.

• Please do not have renters or guests staying during the time of the inspection. Plan ahead and schedule accordingly.

• The Short-Term Rental Inspection fee is $455.00 as updated in the district’s 2025 fee schedule.

• If you are located within the Town of Truckee, your STR fees will be collected by the Town of Truckee.

• If you are located within Placer County, your STR fees will be paid directly to our Fire Department upon scheduling your inspection.

• There are separate tabs to choose depending on your property’s location.

• If you reside in the Town of Truckee, click on the Town of Truckee Appointment tab.

• If you reside in Placer County, click on the Placer County Appointment tab.

• Re-inspections will be charged a $300.00 fee.

• There is a separate tab for scheduling a re-inspection which prompts you to pay the fee via PayPal.

• If you do not have PayPal, you can check out as a ‘guest’ to use another form of payment.

• The Fire & Life Safety inspection will be conducted for the interior of the house.

• If the exterior defensible space inspection cannot be completed due to snow on the ground, the permit will be given a “Conditional” status. The conditional status due to snow does not negatively affect the permit in terms of renting throughout the winter.

• Once the snow melts in the spring, the Fire Inspector will revisit the property to ensure defensible space requirements have been met before clearing the conditional status.

• Many permit holders focus on the interior aspect of the inspection and fail to prepare their defensible space in time for the inspection.

• Your inspection may fail and require a re-inspection if your property is not in compliance following PRC-4291.

• It is paramount to prepare your property and ensure it meets all requirements PRIOR to your inspection date.

• All smoke detectors must be 10 years or less per the manufacture date. The printed manufacture date can be found on the bottom of the detector.

• If you do not see any date printed or stamped on the smoke detector, it must be replaced.

• It is required to have a smoke detector in each bedroom/sleeping area and at least one on each level of the home. You may consider additional detectors based on the size of your home.

• The correct size you will need is a 3A-40B:C for “Commercial Use”.

• Fire extinguishers are required to be professionally serviced annually. By clicking on the extinguisher size above, you will find a list of some local companies who provide this service.

• There must be an extinguisher mounted on each level of your home.

• Each extinguisher must be mounted with the top of the extinguisher being no higher than 5 feet and the bottom of the extinguisher no less than 4 inches from the floor.

• Each extinguisher must be mounted in a conspicuous location; not hidden behind a closed door or cabinet.

• There must be at least one CO alarm on each level of the home, placed outside the sleeping areas.

• Smoke/CO combination alarms are acceptable and follow the 7 year expiration timeline.

• All CO alarms must be 7 years or less! The printed manufacture date can be found on the back of the alarm.

• BBQ’s must be located 10 feet or more away from the home.

• Do not position your BBQ beneath combustible objects such as eaves, umbrellas or tree branches.

• A fire resistant grill mat can be placed below your BBQ to protect your wood deck from hot grease or food.

• If you do not have one already, a 3 hour timer should be added to the gas line of your BBQ to ensure the grill does not get left on if forgotten.

• “Bedroom” means an enclosed habitable room planned and intended for sleeping, separated from other rooms by a door, and accessible by without crossing another bedroom, closet space, or bathroom.

• A bedroom will have a built-in closet, emergency escape and rescue opening(s), and a minimum floor area of 70 square feet, exclusive of a closet.

• The construction of a room shall comply with all codes in effect at the time of construction or conversion into a bedroom.

• Loft spaces must comply with all of the above requirements, or else are not permitted to be used as a sleeping area.

Extends 5 feet horizontally and vertically from any structure.

• No combustible bark or mulch around structure.

• Remove all dead and dying weeds, grass, plants, shrubs, trees, branches and “vegetative debris”-leaves, needles, cones, bark, etc.

• Remove dead or dry leaves and pine needles from roof and gutters.

• Remove all branches within 10 feet of any chimney, stovepipe and roof.

• Remove or prune flammable plants and shrubs near windows.

• Limit combustible items (outdoor furniture, planters, etc.) on decks.

• Relocate firewood and lumber to Zone 2.

• Consider relocating garbage and recycling containers, boats, RVs, vehicles and other combustible items outside this zone.

Extends from 5 to 30 feet from any structure.

• Remove dead plants, grass and weeds and vegetative debris.

• Trim tree branches to a minimum of 6 feet from the ground.

• Cut or mow annual grass down to a maximum height of 4 inches.

• Remove vegetation and items that could catch fire from around and under decks, balconies and stairs.

• Create separation between trees, shrubs and items that could catch fire, such as patio furniture, wood piles, swing sets, etc. 

Extends from 30 feet to no less than 100 feet from any structure.

• Cut or mow annual grass down to a maximum height of 4 inches.

• Create spacing between shrubs and trees.

• Reduce “duff”-fallen leaves, needles, twigs, bark, cones, and small branches to a maximum depth of 3 inches.

• All exposed wood piles must have a minimum of 10 feet of clearance, down to bare mineral soil, in all directions.