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March 5, 2026

California's fire safety regulators are finally out with a ‘single stair' report

  • The State Fire Marshal says modern sprinklers and alarms help, but they do not replace two independent stairs.
    • By BEN CHRISTOPHER
    CalMatters

    iStock photo [enlarge]
    The report recommends allowing single-stair buildings up to four stories, with extra safety rules. It warns against going as high as six stories without another study.

    Two months past a statutory deadline, California's top fire safety regulator published a report Monday on whether and how the state should legalize mid-rise apartment buildings with a lone staircase.


     
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