Idaho Statutes Title 41. Insurance § 41-253. Statement of purpose--Adoption of International Fire Code

(1) The purpose of sections 41-253 through 41-269, Idaho Code, is to protect human life from fire, and to prevent fires. These sections are intended to prescribe regulations consistent with nationally recognized good practice for the safeguarding of life and property from hazards of fire and explosion arising from the storage, handling and use of hazardous substances, materials, and devices, and from conditions hazardous to life or property in the use or occupancy of buildings or premises, and there is hereby adopted the “International Fire Code,” 2000 edition, with appendices thereto, published by the International Code Council, Inc. and such later editions as may be so published and adopted by the state fire marshal, as the minimum standards for the protection of life and property from fire and explosions in the state of Idaho.

(2) A detached single family dwelling, to be constructed upon lands of five (5) acres or more outside an incorporated city and not within a designated area of city impact, shall be exempt from the water supply and access requirements of the adopted version of the International Fire Code unless a county land use or subdivision ordinance requires such compliance. A county adopted ordinance may expand the foregoing exemption applicable to detached single family dwellings by reducing the minimum parcel area requirement after first conducting a public hearing subject to public notice that complies with the requirements set forth in section 67-6509, Idaho Code, and after providing notice by mail to all fire agencies providing services to areas outside an incorporated city and not within a designated area of city impact that might be affected by any such proposal at least twenty-one (21) days prior to such public hearing.

(3) Assistants to the state fire marshal, as provided in section 41-256, Idaho Code, shall apply a reasonable interpretation to the International Fire Code as adopted by the state fire marshal, and rules of the state fire marshal, when undertaking any enforcement action.

(4) For the purposes of sections 41-253 through 41-269, Idaho Code, the “International Fire Code” shall mean the publications as adopted under subsection (1) of this section.