A Silver Spring candle fire exposed a sprinkler gap in an aging high-rise. See when NFPA 101 and a mandated retrofit trigger a fire watch.

A property manager's guide to vetting a Los Angeles fire watch company: response time, who can stand the watch, and what the patrol log must show.

A New Orleans lawsuit over a sprinkler code exception shows marshal approval isn't proof of protection. See when NFPA 25 still requires a fire watch.

A fire marshal wants proof, not a story. See the four records every fire watch file needs before your local AHJ asks to see them.

A Maine elementary school has run a fire watch for weeks after a power surge killed its alarm panel. Here's when that rule applies to you.

A Milwaukee alarm and electrical failure forced an evacuation. Learn when a dead fire alarm requires only a fire watch instead, per NFPA 72.

NFPA 25 gives a sprinkler outage 10 hours and an alarm outage 4 hours before a fire watch is required. Here's how the clock works and what a guard does.

A suspected lightning strike destroyed a Kansas apartment complex. See when NFPA 101 requires a fire watch on the buildings next door.

A Syracuse middle school fire raises the evacuate-or-watch question. Learn when NFPA 101 forces a documented fire watch after a school incident.

Who can stand a fire watch? See how AHJ approval, training, dedicated coverage, and local licensing decide whether your employee or a contract guard qualifies.

A South Bend construction site fire is under investigation with a crane still to be removed. Learn when NFPA 241 requires a fire watch during that gap.

A custodian found beeping alarm panels at 20+ Antioch schools. Learn when a failed fire alarm legally requires a fire watch.