Fire codes

Virginia Fire Code & Departments

High annual-fires load (#13 of 51 nationally) against a International Fire Code (IFC) floor - 640 departments on the roster.

International Fire Code (IFC) Adopted 2021

Virginia Statewide Fire Prevention Code (IFC based)

Virginia adopts the IFC with state amendments. The State Fire Marshal and local fire officials share enforcement responsibility.

International Fire Code (IFC) · fires rank #13 of 51

Virginia adopts International Fire Code (IFC) (2021), shared by 33 of 51 states in this extract. 640 fire departments; the state ranks #13 of 51 nationally by annual fires (USFA).

  • Annual-fires rank #13 of 51 nationally
  • 33 of 51 states share this code type
  • 42 career / 444 volunteer depts
640
Fire Departments
25,415
Total Personnel
444
Volunteer Depts
42
Career Depts

Largest Fire Departments in Virginia

#1
Hanover County Fire and Emergency Medical Services - Hanover Courthouse Volunteer Fire
Hanover
631 personnel
#2
Chesterfield Fire and Emergency Medical Services
Chester
533 personnel
#3
Virginia Beach Fire Department
Virginia Beach
503 personnel
#4
Norfolk Fire - Rescue
Norfolk
498 personnel
#5
Henrico County Division of Fire
Richmond
440 personnel
View all 640 departments in Virginia →

Virginia's high fire-load code desk

High incident load (#13 of 51 nationally; ~43,900 fires/year) tests International Fire Code (IFC) in the field more often than low-load peers on the same family.

Enforcement capacity is volunteer-dominant: 444 volunteer vs 42 career departments (9% career among typed orgs), with 25,415 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: Hanover County Fire and Emergency Medical Services - Hanover Courthouse Volunteer Fire (631 personnel, 2.5% of the state total).

USFA annual-fires rank for Virginia is #13 of 51 (~43,900 fires/year ; 86 fire deaths; 440 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)
  • AR · 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)

Frequently Asked Questions

How many fire departments are in Virginia?
Virginia has 640 fire departments registered in the HIFLD database, including 42 career departments and 444 volunteer departments with 25,415 total personnel.
How does Virginia's fire load compare nationally?
USFA ranks Virginia #13 of 51 by annual fires (~43,900 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.
What fire code does Virginia use?
Virginia adopts the Virginia Statewide Fire Prevention Code (IFC based) (adopted 2021). Virginia adopts the IFC with state amendments. The State Fire Marshal and local fire officials share enforcement responsibility.
How current is Virginia's adopted fire code?
Virginia 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.
Data sourced from official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainFireData

Keep reading: Fire safety by state (pairs adoption vintage with incident load).