The Texas State Fire Marshal’s Office (SFMO), established in 1910, plays a crucial role in reducing the impact of fire on people and property across the State of Texas.
Learn more in TDI’s Texas Insurance Podcast.
Although the office began independently, it has operated for most of its history as a division of the Texas Department of Insurance. Today, SFMO continues its mission through fire investigation support, building inspections, and licensing key parts of the fire‑protection industry.
Statewide support for fire investigations
SFMO helps with fire investigations in all 254 Texas counties at the request of local jurisdictions or other state agencies.
Requests often come from smaller jurisdictions with limited resources, particularly when a fire involves a loss of life or damage to significant community buildings such as courthouses, grocery stores, or churches.
To support these investigations, SFMO maintains five highly trained fire‑investigation canine teams that can detect the scent of ignitable liquids that may have been used to start or spread a fire. SFMO can also provide drone support when needed.
Fire safety requirements don’t stop at the city limits
A common misconception is that no fire code applies if a local jurisdiction has not adopted one. Texas law provides a statewide safety backstop. Where a local government has not adopted a fire and life safety code, the standards adopted by the State Fire Marshal apply. Local fire officials may enforce those standards, and SFMO also has authority to inspect and enforce them in areas where they apply.
Many requirements in SFMO’s code are simple but critical. Businesses must have visible, lit exit signs and unlocked exit doors, with clear paths leading to them. During a fire, people may have only minutes to escape, and a blocked or locked exit can have deadly consequences..
How SFMO enforces fire and life safety
SFMO organizes its inspections into three main categories:
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State-owned and state-leased buildings:
SFMO inspects more than 21,000 state-owned and state-leased buildings on a regular, ongoing basis according to risk. -
Fee-based inspections:
These occur when another state agency requires a fire safety inspection for entities it licenses, such as foster homes or daycare centers in unincorporated areas. -
Complaint-based inspections:
These take place when SFMO receives a complaint about a potential fire safety issue. Many of these facilities are in unincorporated areas where residents mistakenly believe no fire code applies.
Community outreach and education
SFMO is also committed to educating Texans. Its education efforts include working with the American Red Cross and local volunteer fire departments to install smoke detectors in underserved communities. SFMO is also collaborating with the Central Texas Special Olympics to create a fire‑safety education program tailored to its participants’ needs.
A key safety tip for every Texan
For Fire Prevention Week this October, SFMO is highlighting safe use and charging practices for the lithium‑ion batteries commonly found in mobile phones, laptops, tablets, and other devices. You should always charge these batteries on a hard, stable surface, never on a bed, couch or other surface that can trap heat or catch fire.
