Most construction fire safety plans are written for empty sites. This one wasn’t.
The Brownstones on 26th Avenue is a 97-unit, 11-building wood frame townhome complex. When the strata brought in a restoration contractor to replace the rooftop decking, siding, and fencing across all 11 buildings, residents weren’t moving out. Work would happen around them — scaffolding, propane, torch-on roofing — in five sequential phases over the better part of two years.
That changes what a construction fire safety plan has to do.
The Complex at a Glance
| Street | 26th Avenue, Surrey BC |
| Building type | Wood frame townhome complex |
| Buildings | 11 (including amenity building) |
| Units | 97 |
| Storeys | 3 above grade (amenity: 2) |
| Scope | Roof, siding and fencing restoration |
| Phases | 5 |
| Occupancy during work | Yes — residents on site throughout |
What Made This Plan Different
1. Residents On Site the Entire Time
A new construction site is controlled space. A restoration on an occupied strata complex is not. People live in these units. They’re parking their cars, walking their dogs, letting their kids play in common areas — while restoration crews work on roofs and exteriors above them.
The CFSP had to account for this at every level: muster points that don’t conflict with resident foot traffic, fire hydrant access that stays clear through all 5 phases, sprinkler system continuity (the existing system stays live throughout — if it goes offline for any reason, fire watch is mandatory for the entire complex), and fire extinguisher placement at the ends of each building rather than a central staging area.
2. Five Phases, Five Different Risk Profiles
The restoration was split into five phases covering different building groups across the complex. Each phase creates a different active construction zone while the rest of the complex stays occupied. The CFSP maps fire department entry points, hydrant locations, garbage chute positions, and scaffolding placement for each phase — so the plan reflects what’s actually happening on the ground, not a generic template.
3. Torch-On Roofing — The Highest-Risk Operation on Site
The restoration includes torch-on roofing. Open flame, on a wood-frame building, above occupied units. This is hot works under BC Fire Code Section 5.6, and it requires the most detailed protocols in the plan:
- Work area clear of combustibles within 15 metres
- Certified personnel only
- Fire watch for the full duration plus 60 minutes after completion
- Final inspection 4 hours after completion
- Minimum 4-A:40-B:C extinguisher on site at all times
The CFSP includes a hot works permit system — every torch-on operation requires a signed permit before work begins. No permit, no work.
4. Daily Propane Management at an Occupied Site
Propane tanks come on site daily for restoration equipment and leave at day’s end. At an occupied complex this requires specific handling: no storage inside buildings, valves off before any storage, pre-determined outdoor storage locations shown on the site plan.
What the Construction Fire Safety Plan Covers
- Construction Fire Safety Director and Deputy FSD — appointments, duties, and 24-hour coverage
- Daily and weekly inspection checklists — covering all fire safety systems throughout the restoration
- Hot works permit system — required for every torch-on roofing operation
- Fire watch log templates — completed during and after every hot works operation
- Incident and activity report forms
- Sprinkler system continuity requirements — fire watch triggers if system goes offline at any point
- Phase-by-phase site plan drawings — hydrant access, extinguisher placement, fire department entry, scaffolding positions
- Propane and combustible material storage protocols
- BC Fire Code Sections 5.2 and 5.6, BCBC 8.1, and CSA Propane Storage & Handling Code
Surrey Fire Department approved the plan in April 2025.
One Flat Fee. Approval Guaranteed.
GetFirePlan.com prepares construction fire safety plans for restoration projects, new builds, and everything in between across Surrey and the Lower Mainland. We write the plan to BC Fire Code and submit it to the fire department. If it doesn’t get approved, we keep working until it does.
Get a quote for your Surrey construction project →
See more construction fire safety plan projects: Construction Fire Safety Plan BC | Construction FSP — Harvie Road, Surrey | Fire Safety Plan Surrey