Fire codes

Arkansas Fire Code & Departments

Mid-cycle adoption (2021) on the International Fire Code (IFC) track - 999 departments in the HIFLD roster.

International Fire Code (IFC) Adopted 2021

International Fire Code (IFC)

Arkansas mandates adoption of the IFC statewide through the Arkansas Fire Prevention Code Act.

International Fire Code (IFC) · fires rank #32 of 51

Arkansas adopts International Fire Code (IFC) (2021), shared by 33 of 51 states in this extract. 999 fire departments; the state ranks #32 of 51 nationally by annual fires (USFA).

  • Annual-fires rank #32 of 51 nationally
  • 33 of 51 states share this code type
  • 30 career / 795 volunteer depts
999
Fire Departments
15,469
Total Personnel
795
Volunteer Depts
30
Career Depts

Largest Fire Departments in Arkansas

#1
Little Rock Fire
Little Rock
396 personnel
#2
North Little Rock Fire Department
North Little Rock
151 personnel
#3
West Fourche Fire Department
Gravelly
140 personnel
#4
Fort Smith Fire Department
Fort Smith
128 personnel
#5
Fayetteville Fire Department
Fayetteville
101 personnel
View all 999 departments in Arkansas →

Arkansas: mid-cycle code desk

Mid-cycle vintage (2021) on the International Fire Code (IFC) track. 33 of 51 states share the family. Expect comments citing both the state floor and newer local amendments.

Enforcement capacity is volunteer-dominant: 795 volunteer vs 30 career departments (4% career among typed orgs), with 15,469 personnel on HIFLD. In this mix, statewide code language matters most where the state fire marshal or county inspector fills gaps rural companies cannot staff full-time. Largest roster in-state: Little Rock Fire (396 personnel, 2.6% of the state total).

USFA annual-fires rank for Arkansas is #32 of 51 (~20,100 fires/year ; 68 fire deaths; 195 injuries). Pair that incident load with the adoption vintage above when judging how hard the code is tested in the field. Figures: HIFLD Open Data ( FEMA / U.S. Fire Administration ), USFA published statistics, and state code-adoption records in this portal's extract.

Same International Fire Code (IFC) family: nearest adoption peers

  • AL · adopted 2021 (same model year)
  • CO · adopted 2021 (same model year)
  • DC · adopted 2021 (same model year)
  • GA · adopted 2021 (same model year)
  • IL · adopted 2021 (same model year)
  • MD · adopted 2021 (same model year)

Frequently Asked Questions

What fire code does Arkansas use?
Arkansas adopts the International Fire Code (IFC) (adopted 2021). Arkansas mandates adoption of the IFC statewide through the Arkansas Fire Prevention Code Act.
How current is Arkansas's adopted fire code?
Arkansas shows adoption year 2021 in this extract (mid-cycle band, 2019–2021). Local amendments can still tighten sprinkler or wildland rules beyond the statewide floor.
How many fire departments are in Arkansas?
Arkansas has 999 fire departments registered in the HIFLD database, including 30 career departments and 795 volunteer departments with 15,469 total personnel.
How does Arkansas's fire load compare nationally?
USFA ranks Arkansas #32 of 51 by annual fires (~20,100 fires/year in this extract). Pair that load with the adoption vintage and department mix on this page, high-load states stress code enforcement differently than low-load peers on the same code family.
Data sourced from official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainFireData

Keep reading: Methodology (HIFLD + USFA join notes for this extract).