Ontario Regulation 87/25, made under the Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997 brings amendments to Ontario Regulation 213/07, commonly known as the Fire Code. This regulation revises provisions related to farm buildings and agricultural occupancies, clarifies definitions related to fire safety, and updates standards and references for materials and construction methods to improve fire protection and prevention in the province.

A key change introduced by this regulation is the updated exemption criteria for farms under the Fire Code. Specifically, farm buildings with an occupant load not exceeding one person per 40 square meters of floor area during normal use, along with other farm premises used solely for farming purposes, are exempt from many Fire Code requirements. However, an important exception is made for areas within farm buildings that house hazardous extraction operations involving cannabis. Such areas must comply with specific stringent requirements set out in Division B of the Fire Code to address the increased fire risks associated with these operations.

Additionally, the regulation mandates that larger farm buildings—those exceeding 600 square meters in building area or more than three storeys in height—constructed on or after January 1, 2025, must conform to Parts 2 and 6 of Division B of the Fire Code. These parts detail construction and fire safety standards, aligning such farm buildings with requirements applicable to other commercial or institutional structures. This ensures that newer, larger agricultural buildings provide appropriate levels of fire safety protection.

The regulation also extensively revises and expands definitions in Article 1.4.1.2 of Division A, which are foundational for interpreting and applying the Fire Code. Notably, the term “Agricultural occupancy” is defined as a building or part thereof located on land devoted to farming activities such as crop production, raising farm animals, and processing agricultural products. A new category called “Agricultural occupancy with no human occupants” covers spaces used primarily for storage of agricultural materials, not typically occupied by people. Several technical definitions relating to fire safety components and building materials—such as “Breeching,” “Closure,” “Combustible construction,” “Combustible dust,” “Dangerous goods,” and various types of sumps used for containment of flammable or combustible liquids—have been revised or added to provide clarity and precision.

Other important updates to definitions include “Encapsulated mass timber construction,” which describes a fire-safe building method using mass timber elements protected by encapsulating materials to delay ignition, and “High-hazard agricultural occupancy,” identifying farm occupancies containing large quantities of highly combustible or explosive materials that pose special fire hazards.

Overall, Ontario Regulation 87/25 represents a comprehensive effort to improve fire protection and prevention in agricultural settings, while clarifying technical definitions and maintaining alignment with contemporary standards.

Ontario (87/2025) June 18, 2025
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