Fire protection: tents: nonflammable materials.

Existing law establishes the Office of the State Fire Marshal in the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection and requires the office to aid in the enforcement of specified laws and ordinances relating to fires or fire prevention and protection. Existing law requires the State Fire Marshal to prepare and adopt rules and regulations establishing minimum requirements for the prevention of fire and panic in connection with the use of tents, awnings, or other fabric enclosures. Existing law provides that it is unlawful for any person, firm, or corporation to establish, maintain, or operate a specified event in or under which 10 or more persons may gather for any lawful purpose in any tent, awning, or other fabric enclosure unless a tent, awning, or other fabric enclosure, and all auxiliary tents, curtains, drops, awnings, and all decorative materials, are made from a nonflammable material or are treated and maintained in a flame-retardant condition. Existing law provides specified exceptions to the above-described provision. This bill would instead apply the above-described requirement relating to tents to a gathering of 15 or more persons. The bill would expand the exceptions to the above-described requirement by including any tent designed or manufactured for children's play, camping, backpacking, or mountaineering. Existing law provides that it is unlawful for any person to sell or offer for sale any tent designed and intended for use for occupancy by less than 10 persons unless the tent is made from flame-retardant fabrics or materials approved by the State Fire Marshal. Existing law requires all tents manufactured for sale in this state to be flame retardant, as provided. This bill would instead provide that it is unlawful for any person to manufacture, sell, or offer for sale any tent designed and intended for use for occupancy by less than 15 persons unless the tent is made from flame-retardant fabrics, as provided. The bill would, for purposes of this provision, provide that a tent that is constructed with fabric entirely from synthetic fibers shall be classified as being made from flame-retardant fabrics or materials. The bill would delete the requirement that all tents manufactured for sale in this state be flame retardant, as provided.