Comments on: Do Pizza Ovens Require Suppression

By: Billy Roach

Billy Roach — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 01:17:18 +0000

Follow-up to Ms. Merkel (10-23-2011) an approved fire watch was established and she was allowed to operate without a type 1 hood system. Note: The Fair Association required all vendors with cooking trailers to sign an agreement (before approving their lease) to have type 1 hoods with suppression systems to comply with 2009 IFC and 2009 IMC.
Fire Code Official
Mobile Fire-Rescue Department

By: Michael O'Brian

Michael O'Brian — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 18:40:10 +0000

This is a complex question and would be solved with the AHJ, transit food units have some regulations and its up to the local fire marshal

By: beth merkel

beth merkel — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 04:00:03 +0000

How much time should an established pizza concession stand receive as notice as to the new regulations? I was given 5 minutes to install an ansel system or face a $500 fine per day.
My hood system is very clean and ovens are cleaned out once a week. I feel this is very unfair.
We are at the Greater Gulf Fair in Mobile Alabama

By: Art Shaw

Art Shaw — Fri, 10 Dec 2010 18:43:03 +0000

I don’t have a copy with me at this time but as far as Michigan is concerned take a look at the newly adopted mechanical code. There are some new definitions of various type of cooking equipment and a conveyer type pizza oven needs protection. There are other changes that all inspectors should become familiar with.

By: DFDFireInspector

DFDFireInspector — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 03:34:20 +0000

If you look at the link I posted above you will see that the NFPAs answer is that if pizza is all that is being cooked, you are right, but once other food that produces grease laden vapors put into it, it needs a class 1 hood. After the inspection above I approached my Chief and he said no to enforcing a class 1 installation, but the hood referenced above must be maintained such that it doesn’t have an accumulation of grease. Even if they have to clean it every month! Since I am new at this I decided to do all the pizza shops in town and have found that, so far, every class 2 hood has been grease covered and every pizza place puts more than pizza in their oven. So far the list includes pasta, bread stick, wings, subs, chicken strips and cheesesticks. 4 for 4 on greasy hoods, I cannot explain why yours has no grease and NONE of pizza restaurants I have been in so far are sprinklered.

By: Jackie Mullen

Jackie Mullen — Sat, 04 Dec 2010 18:47:36 +0000

Hello, We use electric deck ovens at 525 degrees and have had them in place since 1999. We do not have any grease build up in or on our ovens nor is there any in our heat hood. We use olive oil in our sauce and of course sell alot of pepperoni pizza. The pans and customer plates are covered in oil and grease when they come to the dish pit and we find grease in our grease trap. How is this possible? If the grease becomes airbourne at 400 degrees why is there no grease in our hood? We are protected at the breaker box and we have a fire sprinkling system with an alarm why should anyone have to also have an ansul system on electric pizza deck ovens? Over the years working in other resturaunts i have had to deal with inspectors like” Major” A power tripping Barney Phife with a code book. You should consider what the majority of experts agree on, pizza ovens require a type 2 hood.

By: DFDFireInspector

DFDFireInspector — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 17:07:36 +0000

I was struggling with what to do about a pizza restaurant in my jurisdiction (I am new at this) because I found a grease covered Type II hood with SCORCH marks in it. It appears they may have had an oven fire previously (or just a really hot oven that caused the aformentioned grease to scorch). The place is just a few years old and when it was built our FD fought with the Building Code Officials on this very issue. I am going to fight to have them install a fixed supression system, I may get over ruled, but what I have observed tells me they need it. Oh and I found this, see the first page- http://www.nfpa.org/assets/files/PDF/IFMA%20quarterlies/IFMA_Quarterly_Spring_01.pdf

By: fred kraft

fred kraft — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 22:03:02 +0000

I agree with Major Herrick- the fire can cause other items to burn- along with trhe simple answer to the fact- defi of a oven- if it does not have doors it is not a oven and there for is a chain broiler and needs a hood and system plain and simple-as for if it is used to produce grease is also mute- I could use a fryer to boil pasta does that mean i am exempt- lets talk commen sense here- a duck is a duck even if you paint it green -tie a ribbon on its head and call it a alien-its still a duck- chain driven broilers are broilers not ovend because we renamed them to sell better-when I go to a burning building we say its on fire- not its overly warm so we dont have to do a report-

By: Brian Batten

Brian Batten — Thu, 07 May 2009 22:54:17 +0000

Interesting topic. You would think that the ICC and NFPA would make a clear and decisive decision on fire suppression for pizza ovens. Then write the code to specifically mandate suppression or not.

It is and will continue to challenge us.

By: Tom Jacobs

Tom Jacobs — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 16:11:43 +0000

I agree with Mr. Herrick 110%. If you are in the code enforcement field you are there to protect the public and enforce the law whether the public likes it or not.

We are not in the code enforcement field to ensure contractor profit or business profit or a cheaper way to do anything. We are there to ensure the business does not close due to preventable hazard. We are there to ensure the community is protected from preventable hazard. To overlook obvious hazard is doing your community a disservice.

I find that code officials who have had real experience in other trades or industries along with fire service experience have more of a sense of the “real world”, and can therefore discern when they are being hoodwinked. There is nothing wrong with the book either, and we all just might learn something from reading a little more closely some of the things we take for granted.