Fire codes

Maine Fire Code & Departments

Legacy adoption vintage (2018) with a volunteer-heavy roster (280 volunteer vs 12 career departments).

NFPA Fire Code Adopted 2018

Maine NFPA Fire Prevention Codes

Maine adopts NFPA fire codes through the State Fire Marshal's Office. Local fire departments serve as primary enforcers.

NFPA Fire Code · fires rank #41 of 51

Maine adopts NFPA Fire Code (2018), shared by 11 of 51 states in this extract. 454 fire departments; the state ranks #41 of 51 nationally by annual fires (USFA).

  • Annual-fires rank #41 of 51 nationally
  • 11 of 51 states share this code type
  • 12 career / 280 volunteer depts
454
Fire Departments
10,506
Total Personnel
280
Volunteer Depts
12
Career Depts

Largest Fire Departments in Maine

#1
Portland Fire Department
Portland
236 personnel
#2
Scarborough Fire Department - Oak Hill Station
Scarborough
213 personnel
#3
South Portland Fire Department - Central
South Portland
162 personnel
#4
Gorham Fire Rescue - Central Station
Gorham
146 personnel
#5
Westbrook Fire and Rescue
Westbrook
107 personnel
View all 454 departments in Maine →

Maine: volunteer-led legacy code desk

Legacy vintage (2018) with volunteer share 96% (280 volunteer vs 12 career among typed orgs). Rural companies often rely on the state fire marshal for plan review while the statewide floor ages in place.

Enforcement capacity is volunteer-dominant: 280 volunteer vs 12 career departments (4% career among typed orgs), with 10,506 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: Portland Fire Department (236 personnel, 2.2% of the state total).

USFA annual-fires rank for Maine is #41 of 51 (~9,800 fires/year ; 20 fire deaths; 97 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 NFPA Fire Code family: nearest adoption peers

  • DE · adopted 2018 (same model year)
  • IA · adopted 2018 (same model year)
  • IN · adopted 2018 (same model year)
  • NH · adopted 2018 (same model year)
  • RI · adopted 2018 (same model year)
  • VT · adopted 2018 (same model year)

Frequently Asked Questions

What fire code does Maine use?
Maine adopts the Maine NFPA Fire Prevention Codes (adopted 2018). Maine adopts NFPA fire codes through the State Fire Marshal's Office. Local fire departments serve as primary enforcers.
How many fire departments are in Maine?
Maine has 454 fire departments registered in the HIFLD database, including 12 career departments and 280 volunteer departments with 10,506 total personnel.
How current is Maine's adopted fire code?
Maine shows adoption year 2018 in this extract (legacy band, 2018 or earlier). Local amendments can still tighten sprinkler or wildland rules beyond the statewide floor.
How does Maine's fire load compare nationally?
USFA ranks Maine #41 of 51 by annual fires (~9,800 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).