100 Years of Legacy and Vision

On May 23, 1923, Assembly Bill 409 was signed by Governor Friend William Richardson to establish the Office of State Fire Marshal.

The original act stated that the Fire Marshal should “safeguard life and property from fire and see that all laws and ordinances relating to fires and fire protection are enforced and that he should attend, if possible, all fires other than forest, brush or grain, which occur outside of incorporated cities and take charge and protect all property imperiled”.

On June 5, 1995, the State of California Little Hoover Commission sent letters to Governor Pete Wilson, Senator Bill Lockyer/ President Pro Tempore, and Assemblyman Willie L. Brown/ Speaker of the Assembly, Jr., supporting the “Governor’s Reorganization Plan No. 3 of 1995” which merges the Office of the California State Fire Marshal with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

In 2023, OSFM celebrated its Centennial Anniversary and Governor Newsom declared May 23, 2023 “California State Fire Marshal Centennial Day”.

The Office of the State Fire Marshal is dedicated to fire prevention through a wide variety of fire safety responsibilities including the following:

• Regulating buildings in which people live, congregate, or are confined; by controlling substances and products which may, in and of themselves, or by their misuse, cause injuries, death and destruction by fire.
• Providing statewide direction for fire prevention within wildland areas.
• Regulating hazardous liquid pipelines.
• Developing and reviewing regulations and building standards.
• Providing training and education in fire protection methods and responsibilities.

These achievements are accomplished through several major program elements including engineering, education, and enforcement.