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Fire audit 30 min read

Fire audit checklist: 38 checks, each traced to the rule that requires it

Updated By Flamekite Editorial DeskFacts checked against official sources on

Quick answer

A fire audit checklist of 38 checks, each traced to NBC Part 4, an IS code or a state circular, with test intervals and the official hospital and hotel lists.

India has no single statutory checklist. The auditor works from the code your approval cites, usually NBC 2016 Part 4, the IS code for each system, and the state's own format: Telangana's 13-point certificate, Maharashtra's rule 33 duties and its Form B site checklist. For hospitals the Directorate General Fire Services published a 4-category advisory list of up to 64 items.

DGCD hospital checklist, tallest category
64 items
Category D: hospitals above 24 m up to 45 m
Checklist finder
Travel distance in a sprinklered block of flats
60 m
NBCS 2026 Table 4; 30 m without sprinklers
Egress table
Detectors tested every year
20%
And every device within 5 years
Test intervals
Emergency lighting must last
90 min
Switching on within 5 s of a power failure
Pass marks

The fire audit checklist at a glance: what it checks and against which rule

Where a fire audit checklist's items come from, in 10 facts with their sources. Last verified October 2026.
WhatThe ruleSource
One national checklist?None in law. The nearest is the Directorate General Fire Services' hospital advisory, which says state fire services may keep their own practiceDGCD, MHA
The code most checklists citeNBC 2016 Part 4, which BIS withdrew on 30 April 2026; approvals issued under it are still audited against itGazette of India
The newer codeNBCS 2026 Part F, voluntary: only Assam had written it into its fire law by 24 October 2026Assam Act XIII of 2026
Where NBCS 2026 binds workplacesUttar Pradesh OSH rule 12: buildings of 5 or more floors or 20 m or more must meet Part FUP Gazette
The fullest official test scheduleMFS Form B guidelines of 7 July 2026: daily to 5-yearly tests for extinguishers, hose reels, hydrants, sprinklers, pumps and detectionMFS Form B guidelines
The shortest official certificateTelangana's 13 measures, each marked working or not working by a third-party auditorTG fire circular 2020
The auditor's duties in lawMaharashtra rule 33: 12 duties, ending in a Fire Audit Report and a Form V certificateAmendment Rules 2025
HospitalsDGCD checklist: 48 general items, then Categories A to D by height and plot areaDGCD, MHA
Detection codeIS 2189:2026 from 17 March 2026; the 2008 edition was withdrawn on 17 September 2026BIS standards database
Last verified25 October 2026, against the DGCD checklist, the MFS circulars, NBC 2016 Part 4, NBCS 2026 Part F and the BIS standards databaseNot stated

Fire audit checklist system by system: the code, its edition and the test

For each fire system: the Indian Standard that governs it and the edition current on the BIS database on 25 October 2026, what the code or rule asks, the test an official schedule sets, and which official checklists name it.
OptionCode, current editionWhat is requiredThe official testNamed inSource
Portable extinguishersIS 2190:2024 for selection and upkeep; IS 15683:2018 for constructionThe right type and number for the hazard, placed and servicedRecharge a gas cartridge that has lost more than 10% of its mass; discharge-test water stored-pressure units every 2 yearsDGCD item 6; MFS clause 8 A; Telangana item 1MFS Form B guidelines
First-aid hose reelsIS 884:2025 for the reel; installed under IS 3844:1989A reel fed from the riser on each floor the occupancy table names, hose of at least 19 mm (NBCS 2026 clause 5.1.1(d))Once a year: hose run out fully, at least 30 L/min at the highest reel (IS 3844 cl. 9.7); Maharashtra's guidelines add a jet of at least 6 mDGCD item 8; MFS clause 8 B; Telangana item 2MFS Form B guidelines
Internal hydrants, wet riser, down-comerIS 3844:1989, current and valid to 20 June 2030A riser main of at least 100 mm, 3.5 to 7 bar at the hydrants (NBCS 2026 clause 5.1.1(f))Each quarter: 3 adjacent hydrants open together, at least 1,125 L/min at 5.25 kgf/cm² (Maharashtra guidelines); IS 3844 itself asks valves and boxes inspected every 6 monthsDGCD items 9 to 11; MFS clause 8 C; Telangana item 3MFS Form B guidelines
Yard hydrantsIS 13039:2014An external hydrant system around the buildingMonthly: open each outlet and check washers; every 6 months: landing, drain and isolation valves and the fire service inletDGCD Categories B to D; Telangana item 4DGCD, MHA
Automatic sprinklersIS 15105:2021Sprinklers where NBC 2016 Table 7 asks for them by occupancy and heightDaily: installation valve and gauges; every 6 months: discharge test; yearly: pipework examined and the system flushedDGCD item 7; MFS clause 8 D; Telangana item 5MFS Form B guidelines
Fire pumpsIS 15301:2003An electric main pump, an equal standby and a jockey pump (NBCS 2026 Table 7M)Main pump run at least 5 minutes daily; diesel engine started weekly for 10 minutes with fuel for 4 hoursMFS clauses 8 E and 9 B; Telangana item 10MFS Form B guidelines
Fire water storageIS 9668:1990Underground and terrace tanks in 2 or more interconnected compartments (NBCS 2026 clause 5.1.2.1)Weekly: tanks full and clean; cleaned once in 1 or 2 yearsDGCD item 12; Telangana items 8 and 9BIS, SP 7:2026
Detection and alarmIS 2189:2026; the 2008 edition was withdrawn on 17 September 2026Detectors, manual call points, the panel and soundersIS 2189:2026: daily panel check, quarterly user test, yearly functional test of every smoke detector (Maharashtra's guidelines instead ask 20% a year, every device within 5 years)DGCD; MFS clause 8 F; Telangana items 6 and 7BIS standards database
Fire doorsIS 3614:2021120 min doors into exit stairs and in openings of fire walls (NBC 2016 clauses 3.4.5.2 and 4.4.2.4.3.2)A label giving the rating, maker, batch and month of manufacture (NBC 2016 clause 4.4.2.4.1(f))DGCD Category C item 27 (fire compartmentation)BIS, NBC 2016 Part 4
Exit signsIS 12349:1988 for safety signsGreen signs, with no point more than 30 m from a visible directional sign (NBC 2016 clause 3.4.7.4)Lit, on an independent circuit with an alternative supplyMFS clause 9 D; Telangana item 11BIS, NBC 2016 Part 4
Emergency lightingNBC 2016 clause 3.4.7.1; NBCS 2026 clause 3.5.6.1A source independent of normal lighting, on within 5 sHolds the required light for at least 90 minutes; Telangana asks battery backup of at least 90 minutesTelangana item 12; DGCD Category C item 24BIS, NBC 2016 Part 4
Stair and lobby pressurisationNBC 2016 Table 6By height: lift lobbies with 120 min doors at 25 to 30 Pa, or the lift shaft at 50 Pa where there is no lobbyRun on the alternate power supply at the Maharashtra Form B testTelangana item 13; MFS covering letterBIS, NBC 2016 Part 4

How to walk a building with this fire audit checklist, in Flamekite's order

  1. Collect the papers before the walk

    The fire certificate on display, the approved plans, the maintenance contract, the log books and the last audit or Form B. The DGCD hospital list asks for each of these before any system is tested.

  2. Fix which code edition applies

    Read the fire approval: most cite NBC 2016 Part 4, which BIS withdrew on 30 April 2026. Audit against the edition the approval was issued under, and note where NBCS 2026 now differs.

  3. Walk the exits from the top floor down

    Count the staircases, measure stair widths and dead ends, check that every fire door self-closes and that no stair holds panels, ducts or storage.

  4. Check the passive measures on the way

    Compartment walls and their 120 min doors, sealed shafts, refuge areas above 24 m and the firefighting shaft's lobby.

  5. Run every active system

    Start each pump, open the topmost hydrant and the sprinkler test valve, trigger a detector in each zone, and run the hose reel on the highest floor.

  6. Cut the mains and watch the standby

    Pumps, alarm, talk-back, pressurisation fans, lifts and stair lighting should all run on the alternate supply, as Maharashtra's Form B test requires.

  7. Record each item against its clause

    Mark it working or not working, as Telangana's certificate does, with a dated photograph and the clause it fails, so every fix can be traced to the rule.

The fire audit checklist: 38 checks the rules require, with the clause for each

Every item below is written in an official document, named in brackets. Flamekite's own practical checks are kept apart, further down the page.

  • Exits: at least 2 staircases in every building Part 4 covers (NBC 2016 clause 4.4.2.4.3.1) BIS, NBC 2016 Part 4
  • Exits: every point on a floor within the Table 5 travel distance, 30 m for homes, schools, hospitals, offices and shops in Type 1 and 2 construction (clause 4.4.2.2) BIS, NBC 2016 Part 4
  • Exits: dead-end corridors no longer than 6 m in schools, hospitals and assembly buildings, and 15 m in other buildings (clause 4.4.2.2(c)) BIS, NBC 2016 Part 4
  • Exits: exit doors at least 1,000 mm wide, 2,000 mm in assembly buildings, at least 2,000 mm high, and openable from inside without a key (clause 4.4.2.4.1) BIS, NBC 2016 Part 4
  • Stairs: built to 120 min, entered through a 120 min fire door, with no lift, electrical panel, gas pipe or duct opening into them (clause 4.4.2.4.3.2) BIS, NBC 2016 Part 4
  • Stairs: no narrower than 1.25 m in flats, 1.50 m in hotels, schools and offices, and 2.00 m in hospitals and assembly halls (clause 4.4.2.4.3.2(e)) BIS, NBC 2016 Part 4
  • Stairs: risers of at most 150 mm, 190 mm in A-2 homes, and no more than 12 to a flight (clause 4.4.2.4.3.1) BIS, NBC 2016 Part 4
  • Stairs: a floor indication board of at least 300 mm by 200 mm inside each stair, on the wall nearest the fire door BIS, NBC 2016 Part 4
  • Signs: green exit signs, lit on an alternative supply, with no point more than 30 m from a visible directional sign (clause 3.4.7.4) BIS, NBC 2016 Part 4
  • Lighting: emergency lighting on an independent source, on within 5 s of a failure and lasting at least 90 min; battery packs do not replace a diesel-driven supply (clause 3.4.7.1) BIS, NBC 2016 Part 4
  • Lighting: at least 10 lumen/m² on the centreline of escape routes, with luminaires at least 2 m up near exits, stair flights, call points and fire equipment BIS, NBC 2016 Part 4
  • Compartments: floors divided into compartments of at most 750 m², or the larger sprinklered limits such as 3,000 m² for offices and 1,800 m² for hospitals, by 120 min barriers (clause 4.5.2) BIS, NBC 2016 Part 4
  • Compartments: an opening in a fire wall no larger than 5.6 m² and no more than 2.75 m high or wide, closed by a 120 min door (clause 3.4.5.2) BIS, NBC 2016 Part 4
  • Shafts: service shafts enclosed to 120 min with 120 min fire-stop around the cables, and electrical shafts sealed at every floor (clauses 3.4.5.4 and 3.4.6.1) BIS, NBC 2016 Part 4
  • Smoke: lift lobbies with 120 min doors pressurised to 25 to 30 Pa where Table 6 asks, or the lift shaft to 50 Pa where there is no lobby BIS, NBC 2016 Part 4
  • Power: emergency supply to fire pumps, pressurisation fans, fireman's lifts and all other lifts, exit signs and emergency lighting (clause 3.4.6.2) BIS, NBC 2016 Part 4
  • Refuge: a refuge area in buildings over 24 m, at or just above 24 m and then every 15 m or so, unless every flat has a balcony (Annex E-4) BIS, NBC 2016 Part 4
  • Refuge: 0.3 m² a person for two floors' occupants plus 0.9 m² per 200 for wheelchairs, never under 15 m², sprinklered, signed in letters of at least 75 mm and kept empty (Annex E-4) BIS, NBC 2016 Part 4
  • Refuge: a first-aid box, extinguishers, a PA speaker, fireman's talk-back, emergency lighting and drinking water inside it (Annex E-4(f)) BIS, NBC 2016 Part 4
  • Firefighting shaft: one per residential tower and school block, and per compartment of hospitals, offices and shops (Annex E-2) BIS, NBC 2016 Part 4
  • Extinguishers: placed and serviced under IS 2190:2024 (DGCD item 6) DGCD, MHA
  • Hose reels: run out fully once a year, giving at least 30 L/min at the highest reel and a jet of at least 6 m (MFS clause 8 B) MFS Form B guidelines
  • Hydrants: isolating valves locked open and checked weekly; each quarter, 3 adjacent hydrants together give at least 1,125 L/min at 5.25 kgf/cm² (MFS clause 8 C) MFS Form B guidelines
  • Hydrants: a hose box at every hydrant holding 2 lengths of hose and a branch pipe (DGCD item 11) DGCD, MHA
  • Risers: in a hospital of ground plus 2 or more storeys, a wet riser where there are beds and a down-comer where there are none (DGCD items 9 and 10) DGCD, MHA
  • Sprinklers: installation valve and gauges read every day, a discharge test every 6 months and the whole system flushed every year (MFS clause 8 D) MFS Form B guidelines
  • Pumps: the main pump run for at least 5 minutes every day and the diesel pump started every week for 10 minutes, with fuel for 4 hours (MFS clause 8 E) MFS Form B guidelines
  • Pumps: the pump house displays the flow measured at 7 kgf/cm² and at 4.5 kgf/cm² when the pumps were commissioned (MFS clause 8 E) MFS Form B guidelines
  • Telangana: the certificate states both tank volumes in litres and confirms pumps of 2,280 LPM, electric and diesel, with a 180 LPM jockey TG fire circular 2020
  • Detection: one device per zone triggered each week, at least 20% of devices tested each year, every device within 5 years, and 750 mm kept clear below each detector (MFS clause 8 F) MFS Form B guidelines
  • Wireless detection in Maharashtra: only under clause 4.9 of IS 2189:2026, on licence-exempt bands such as 865 to 867 MHz, installed by a licensed agency, and not in high-rise buildings MFS circular 1420
  • Electrical: no transformer or switchgear inside the building unless dry type, and an audit of the electrical load including DG sets (DGCD items 42 and 43) DGCD, MHA
  • Electrical: lightning protection to IS/IEC 62305 (DGCD item 33) DGCD, MHA
  • Records: a valid fire safety certificate on display, approved plans on site and a maintenance contract in force (DGCD items 30, 31 and 34) DGCD, MHA
  • Records: maintenance log books up to date and a record of past fires and the action taken (DGCD items 35 and 37) DGCD, MHA
  • People: an evacuation plan on every floor, marked assembly areas and a fire control room that holds the floor plans (DGCD items 45, 47 and 48) DGCD, MHA
  • People: a mock drill with its attendance sheet, and exits and refuge areas free of obstruction, declared by the owner with each Maharashtra Form B MFS Form B guidelines
  • Maharashtra section 45 buildings: the licensed auditor's 12 rule 33 duties, from ignition sources and storage compatibility to staff readiness, ending in a Form V Amendment Rules 2025

Means of egress on a fire audit checklist: NBC 2016 against NBCS 2026

Most buildings were approved under NBC 2016, but auditors now meet NBCS 2026 too. These 12 egress numbers show where the two agree and where the 2026 text is more generous.

NBC 2016 Part 4NBCS 2026 Part F
Travel distance, flats and hostels BIS, SP 7:202630 m; 45 m if fully sprinklered30 m; 60 m if sprinklered
Travel distance, schools BIS, SP 7:202630 m; 45 m if fully sprinklered30 m; 45 m if sprinklered
Travel distance, hospitals BIS, SP 7:202630 m; 45 m if fully sprinklered30 m; 45 m if sprinklered
Travel distance, offices BIS, SP 7:202630 m; 45 m if fully sprinklered30 m; 60 m if sprinklered
Travel distance, shops and malls BIS, SP 7:202630 m; 45 m if fully sprinklered30 m; 45 m if sprinklered
Travel distance, low and moderate hazard industry (G-1, G-2) BIS, NBC 2016 Part 445 m; 67.5 m if fully sprinklered45 m; 60 m if sprinklered
Travel distance, high hazard industry (G-3) BIS, SP 7:202622.5 m22.5 m; 45 m if sprinklered
Dead-end corridor BIS, SP 7:20266 m in schools, hospitals and assembly; 15 m elsewhereThe same: 6 m and 15 m
Distance to a visible exit sign BIS, SP 7:202630 m at most30 m at most
Emergency lighting BIS, SP 7:2026On within 5 s; at least 90 minOn within 5 s; at least 90 min
Stair width, flats and hospitals BIS, SP 7:20261.25 m for flats; 2.00 m for hospitals1.25 m for flats; 2.00 m for hospitals
Stair risers BIS, SP 7:2026150 mm, 190 mm in A-2 homes; 12 to a flight150 mm, 175 mm in one or two family homes; up to 15 to a flight

Type 1 and 2 construction. NBC 2016 has no sprinklered column: note 1 to its Table 5 adds 50% for a fully sprinklered building, which is how the sprinklered figures in the first column are worked out. NBCS 2026 Table 4 gives them in their own column and caps the common path of travel at half the distance. NBCS 2026 is voluntary unless your state adopts it.

Compartments, shafts, refuge areas and fire lifts: the passive part of a fire audit

Passive measures fail quietly: a wedged door or an unsealed shaft shows up only in a fire. These 9 stops follow a high-rise from the floor plate up to the refuge area.

  1. 1. The compartment wall

    NBC 2016 clause 4.5.2 caps a compartment at 750 m², or more where sprinklered (3,000 m² for offices, 2,000 m² for shops), divided by 120 min barriers. BIS, NBC 2016 Part 4

  2. 2. The same wall in NBCS 2026

    Table 6 allows 2,000 m² for sprinklered hospitals with beds, 3,000 m² for sprinklered hotels and offices, and 10,000 m² for sprinklered industrial sheds under 6.7 m; states may set their own. BIS, SP 7:2026

  3. 3. Doors in the wall

    An opening of at most 5.6 m², closed by a 120 min fire door that carries a label with its rating, maker and month of manufacture. BIS, NBC 2016 Part 4

  4. 4. Service shafts

    Cables and pipes run in shafts of 120 min; the electrical shaft is sealed at every floor with fire-stop of the floor's own rating, because an open shaft carries smoke between floors. BIS, NBC 2016 Part 4

  5. 5. The exit stair

    A 120 min enclosure entered through a 120 min self-closing door, kept free of panels, ducts and stores, continuous to the ground. BIS, NBC 2016 Part 4

  6. 6. The lift lobby

    Pressurised to 25 to 30 Pa behind 120 min doors where Table 6 asks; in a firefighting shaft the lobby must be pressurised unless naturally ventilated. BIS, NBC 2016 Part 4

  7. 7. The fireman's lift

    On emergency power with the other lifts (clause 3.4.6.2), and in NBCS 2026 running down to the basements; Maharashtra's site checklist also asks whether every lift holds a valid licence to operate. MFS Form B guidelines

  8. 8. The refuge area

    Above 24 m: on the outer edge, open to air on one side, sprinklered, with a sign in letters of at least 75 mm naming the refuge areas above and below. BIS, NBC 2016 Part 4

  9. 9. The way on from refuge

    The refuge area opens into the firefighting shaft of stair, lobby and fireman's lift, so no one walks back through the floor they escaped. BIS, NBC 2016 Part 4

Fire audit checklist pass marks: 12 numbers from the official schedules

A checklist item is only testable if it has a number. These are the figures the official documents set, which the auditor measures against.

Fire audit checklist by frequency: from daily to every 5 years

An audit checks that the routine tests were done. Maharashtra's Form B guidelines of 7 July 2026 set the fullest official calendar, system by system.

  1. Every day

    Fire alarm panel shows normal, faults logged; sprinkler installation valve and gauges read; jockey pump cut-in tested; main pump run at least 5 minutes. MFS Form B guidelines

  2. Every week

    One detector or call point per zone triggered; hydrants looked over and isolating valves locked open; sprinkler gauges recorded and tanks full; diesel pump run 10 minutes. MFS Form B guidelines

  3. Every month

    Each hydrant valve opened to see clean water flow, washers checked and every hydrant kept reachable. MFS Form B guidelines

  4. Every 3 months

    Three adjacent hydrants flow-tested; sprinkler heads and alarm gong checked; detection batteries, sounders and panel functions tested; detectors cleaned. MFS Form B guidelines

  5. Every 6 months

    Sprinkler discharge test; landing, drain and isolation valves and the fire service inlet serviced; and in Maharashtra, Form B in January and July. MFS Form B guidelines

  6. Every year

    Hose reels run out and flow-tested; sprinkler pipework examined and flushed; at least 20% of detectors and sounders tested. MFS Form B guidelines

  7. Every year, in January

    Telangana's third-party certificate for flats over 30 m and under 45 m, offices, shops, schools and industry of 15 m to 30 m, and hotels up to 30 m. TG fire circular 2020

  8. Every 2 years

    Water stored-pressure extinguishers discharge-tested, and fire tanks cleaned at the latest, depending on the water. MFS Form B guidelines

  9. Every 3 years

    The detection system's electrical installation tested. MFS Form B guidelines

  10. Every 5 years

    Every detector and alarm device tested at least once. MFS Form B guidelines

IS codes on a fire audit checklist, and their current editions on 25 October 2026

An auditor checks against the current edition of each standard; Maharashtra's guidelines say so in terms. These 12 records were read on the BIS database on 25 October 2026.

IS 2189:2026
Selection, installation and maintenance of automatic fire detection and alarm systems; published 17 March 2026, the fifth revision. The 2008 edition was withdrawn on 17 September 2026. BIS standards database
IS 2190:2024
Selection, installation and maintenance of first-aid fire extinguishers; published 18 October 2024. The 2010 edition was withdrawn on 9 April 2025. BIS standards database
IS 15683:2018
Portable extinguishers, performance and construction; the 2006 edition was withdrawn on 20 May 2024. BIS standards database
IS 16018:2012
Wheeled fire extinguishers, current since 30 April 2013. BIS standards database
IS 3844:1989
Installation and maintenance of internal fire hydrants and hose reels; still current, valid to 20 June 2030. BIS standards database
IS 13039:2014
External hydrant systems, provision and maintenance; current. BIS standards database
IS 15105:2021
Design and installation of fixed automatic sprinkler systems; the 2002 edition was withdrawn on 14 March 2022. BIS standards database
IS 15301:2003
Installation and maintenance of fire fighting pumps; current. BIS standards database
IS 9668:1990
Provision and maintenance of water supplies for fire fighting; current. BIS standards database
IS 3614:2021
Fire doors and doorsets; its 1966 and 1992 parts were withdrawn on 14 March 2022. BIS standards database
IS 12349:1988
Fire protection safety signs; current, valid to 31 January 2027. BIS standards database
IS 2175 and IS 11360
The old heat and smoke detector specifications; both withdrawn on 18 July 2025, with no current edition. BIS standards database

Out-of-date standards printed on official fire audit checklists, and what to check instead

Two official lists still cite editions BIS has withdrawn or replaced. These 6 entries are the ones to correct before an audit is signed.

  • If The MFS Form B guidelines of 7 July 2026 list IS 2189:2008 for detection

    BIS withdrew it on 17 September 2026, and MFS circular 1420 of 16 October 2026 tells authorities to hold detection to IS 2189:2026. MFS circular 1420

  • If The same guidelines list IS 2175 for heat detectors

    Withdrawn on 18 July 2025 with IS 11360; there is no current edition to check against. BIS standards database

  • If The DGCD hospital checklist cites IS 884:1985 for hose reels

    IS 884:2025 is the current edition on the BIS database. BIS standards database

  • If The DGCD hospital checklist lists IS 2189:2008 among its references

    Check against IS 2189:2026, current on the BIS database since 17 March 2026. DGCD, MHA

  • If The MFS guidelines head pump maintenance "IS 13039"

    IS 13039:2014 is the external hydrant code; pumps are IS 15301:2003, which the same guidelines also list. MFS Form B guidelines

  • If Both checklists rest on NBC 2016, withdrawn on 30 April 2026

    Keep auditing against NBC 2016 where the approval was issued under it, and note the NBCS 2026 figure beside it. Gazette of India

Official fire audit checklists in India: 8 documents and what each covers

These are the official lists Flamekite found and read. None is a national legal format; each binds only where its issuer's law reaches.

Which fire audit checklist fits your building: hospital, hotel, school, factory or high-rise

Find your building below. The DGCD hospital list grows with height, from 23 items to 64 items.

  1. If A hospital or nursing home under 15 m on a plot up to 1,000 m²

    DGCD Category A: 23 items, including no flammable partitions or curtains and safe storage of oxygen cylinders. DGCD, MHA

  2. If A hospital or nursing home under 15 m on a plot over 1,000 m²

    DGCD Category B: 31 items, adding yard hydrants, call points, automatic detection and a separated electrical panel. DGCD, MHA

  3. If A hospital or nursing home of 15 m to 24 m

    DGCD Category C: 37 items, adding back-up power to fireman's lifts, fire compartmentation, an evacuation coordinator and a fire control room. DGCD, MHA

  4. If A hospital above 24 m and up to 45 m

    DGCD Category D: 64 items, adding a fire command centre staffed 24x7, ICU evacuation kits, oxygen leak detection, vertical evacuation drills and a refuge area. DGCD, MHA

  5. If A hotel seeking a star classification

    The Ministry of Tourism's facilities list on top of the fire NOC: trained staff, drills, smoke detectors, alarms and exit signs with backup power. Ministry of Tourism

  6. If A school affiliated to CBSE

    No CBSE fire list of its own: Circular 01/2022 asks for a valid fire safety certificate while the school operates, so the state's NBC-based items apply, with 6 m dead ends and 1.50 m stairs. CBSE

  7. If A factory or workplace in Uttar Pradesh in a building of 5 floors or 20 m

    OSH rule 12 makes NBCS 2026 Part F the checklist for fire emergencies, besides the fire NOC. OSH Code 2020 UP Gazette

  8. If A factory in another state

    The Factories Act's section 38 was repealed on 21 November 2025, but the state's factory rules under it continue until its OSH rules are final. OSH Code 2020 PIB

  9. If A Telangana tower of flats of 45 m or more, a mall or a hospital above 15 m

    The 13-point third-party certificate every January and July. Fire NOC Telangana TG fire circular 2020

Telangana's 13-point fire audit certificate and the line the auditor signs

Telangana's certificate is the shortest official checklist in India, and the only one that puts the auditor's own liability into the form.

Word for word

If any deviation found in the above report I may be held responsible

Certificate format, page 3, Telangana Circular Memorandum Rc.No.6402/MSB/2019 of 28 January 2020, signed by the third-party fire safety auditor with a licence number TG fire circular 2020

The 13 rows run from extinguishers, hose reels, risers and yard hydrants through sprinklers, manual and automatic alarms, both tanks and the pumps, to exit signs, 90-minute emergency lighting and fire shaft pressurisation, each "Required as per Part-4 of NBC" and marked working or not working. The form asks no measurement beyond tank litres and pump ratings: the flow, pressure and coverage tests in the sections above are what make each tick defensible.

Flamekite's practical fire audit checks beyond the rule text

Flamekite’s working from the official rules; no government publishes this figure.

Labelled as Flamekite's practice: each follows from a rule cited on this page, but none is written in an official checklist.

Do

  • Test the hydrant on the top floor, not the ground floor: the rules measure pressure at the highest and remotest point. BIS, SP 7:2026
  • Time the emergency lighting with a stopwatch from the moment the mains are cut; 5 s on and 90 min held are both testable. BIS, NBC 2016 Part 4
  • Read the label on a sample of fire doors in each stair; a door without one cannot show its rating. BIS, NBC 2016 Part 4
  • Compare the extinguisher, detector and hydrant counts in the log with what is on the wall, floor by floor. MFS Form B guidelines
  • Re-measure travel distances wherever a floor has been partitioned since approval; new cabins lengthen the walk. BIS, NBC 2016 Part 4
  • Write the clause beside every item marked not working, so the fix can be checked against the same rule. TG fire circular 2020

Don’t

  • Don't accept a detector test done by the panel's test button alone; the schedule asks a device in each zone to be triggered. MFS Form B guidelines
  • Don't let the maintenance agency audit the systems it maintains; Maharashtra called that arrangement contradictory in 2021. MFS order 417
  • Don't treat stored furniture or a locked grille in a refuge area as minor; the rule says the area is always kept clear. BIS, NBC 2016 Part 4
  • Don't sign off a wireless detection system in a high-rise in Maharashtra; the October 2026 circular says it does not suit one. MFS circular 1420
  • Don't copy last year's figures into this year's report; every reading should come from this visit, with a dated photo. Amendment Rules 2025
  • Don't cite a withdrawn IS edition in the report; check the BIS database on the day. BIS standards database

Fire audit checklist worked examples: 4 buildings and the list each gets

Flamekite's reading of the rules for 4 example buildings; the buildings are illustrations, the figures are the codes' and circulars'.

  1. Case 1

    An 80-bed hospital in Pune, 20 m

    Institutional, ground plus 5, sprinklered.

    What applies DGCD Category C, 37 items. Compartments up to 1,800 m² under NBC 2016 (2,000 m² under NBCS 2026), 2.00 m stairs, dead ends of 6 m at most, and Form B from its licensed agency every January and July. DGCD, MHA

  2. Case 2

    A 36 m tower of flats in Hyderabad

    12 floors of 600 m², no balconies.

    What applies A third-party certificate every January under the 2020 circular. Refuge at or just above 24 m: 600 ÷ 12.5 = 48 people a floor, 96 for two floors, × 0.3 m² = 28.8 m² plus 0.9 m² for wheelchairs, so about 29.7 m². BIS, NBC 2016 Part 4

  3. Case 3

    A 2,500 m² engineering shed in Kanpur, 6 m high

    One storey, moderate hazard, not sprinklered.

    What applies Under NBCS 2026 Table 6 an industrial shed under 6.7 m is split into compartments of 1,500 m² unless sprinklered (then 10,000 m²); NBC 2016 leaves this to the fire department. Travel distance 45 m. UP OSH rule 12 does not reach a 1-storey shed. BIS, SP 7:2026

  4. Case 4

    A 60-room hotel in Goa seeking 3 stars

    Ground plus 4, about 15 m.

    What applies The Ministry of Tourism's list: trained staff, drills, smoke detectors, visual and audible alarms, exit signs with backup power. Under NBC 2016, 1.50 m stairs and 30 m travel; NBCS 2026 compartments of 750 m², or 3,000 m² sprinklered. Ministry of Tourism

Fire audit checklist myths, checked against the documents

  • You may have read

    There is one government fire audit checklist for all of India.

    Myth

    What the sources say

    There is none in law. The DGCD's hospital list is advisory and says states may keep their own practice; each state's form decides. DGCD, MHA

  • You may have read

    A clean Form B means the building passed a fire audit.

    Myth

    What the sources say

    Form B certifies maintenance by the agency. Maharashtra's 2015 circular lists exits, ventilation, fire doors and fire load among what agency certificates do not cover. MFS circular 2015

  • You may have read

    Battery emergency lights are enough in any building.

    Myth

    What the sources say

    NBC 2016 clause 3.4.7.1(g) says battery packs may not be used in place of a diesel-driven emergency supply. BIS, NBC 2016 Part 4

  • You may have read

    Wireless smoke detectors are accepted everywhere now.

    Myth

    What the sources say

    Maharashtra accepts them under IS 2189:2026 clause 4.9, but names high-rise buildings and large industrial spaces as unsuitable. MFS circular 1420

  • You may have read

    NBCS 2026 replaced NBC 2016 on every checklist.

    Myth

    What the sources say

    NBCS 2026 is voluntary; only Assam had written it into its fire law by 24 October 2026, and buildings approved under NBC 2016 are audited against it. Assam Act XIII of 2026

Fire audit checklist changes in 2026: new editions and circulars

From news reports, not yet an official source.

Between March and October 2026 the detection code, the national building code and Maharashtra's test schedules all changed, so a checklist written before 2026 needs updating.

  • 16 October 2026

    MFS circular 1420 accepts wireless detectors under IS 2189:2026 clause 4.9 on licence-exempt bands, installed by licensed agencies, and not in high-rise buildings. MFS circular 1420

  • 17 September 2026

    BIS withdraws IS 2189:2008, leaving IS 2189:2026 as the only detection code. BIS standards database

  • 7 July 2026

    MFS issues Form B guidelines with test schedules and a site inspection checklist for licensed agencies. MFS Form B guidelines

  • 30 April 2026

    BIS establishes SP 7:2026 and withdraws NBC 2016 in the Gazette of India. Gazette of India

  • 17 March 2026

    BIS publishes IS 2189:2026, the fifth revision of the detection and alarm code. BIS standards database

Where to download the official fire audit checklists

These 6 official pages held the checklists and codes on 25 October 2026.

What official fire audit checklists leave out, and what Flamekite could not confirm

No official checklist covers every system, and 4 documents Flamekite looked for were not available online.

The DGCD hospital list stops at 45 m: a taller hospital has no category of its own. It also carries no issue date in the copy hosted by the Maharashtra Fire Service, and it names a MoHFW circular on fire safety audits of 3 January 2020 that Flamekite did not find.

Fire lift specifications sit in NBC 2016 Part 8 and NBCS 2026 Part D, which Flamekite has not read, so this page's lift checks stop at emergency power, pressurisation and the lift licence. The NDMA's School Safety Policy (2016), which CBSE points schools to, is covered on the schools page: quarterly safety audits by the School Management Committee and drills preferably every six months.

The BIS standards themselves are sold, not published: where a clause number appears for an IS code, it is the one an official circular names, not Flamekite's reading of the standard.

Not confirmed or not published, 25 October 2026
WhatThe ruleSource
DGCD hospital checklist dateNot printed in the hosted copy; file number VI-14022/09/2024-DGCD (F)DGCD, MHA
Hospitals above 45 mNo DGCD categoryDGCD, MHA
Hydrant pressure at the remotest pointMaharashtra's checklist asks over 3.2 bar; NBCS 2026 sets at least 3.5 bar. Both are shown; the approval's code decidesMFS Form B guidelines
Telangana Annexure IVThe owner's January and July certificate under G.O.Ms.No.15 of 2026 is not in the published 2-page copyG.O.Ms.No.15

Questions about the fire audit checklist

What is a fire audit checklist?

A list of every fire and life safety item an auditor checks, each tied to the rule that requires it: exits and stairs, compartments, refuge areas, extinguishers, hydrants, sprinklers, pumps, detection, emergency lighting and records. In India the items come from NBC Part 4, the IS code for each system and the state's own form.

Is there an official fire audit checklist in India?

Not one national legal format. The Directorate General Fire Services published an advisory checklist for hospitals, Telangana prescribes a 13-point certificate, and Maharashtra's July 2026 guidelines carry a site inspection checklist. Each binds only where its issuer's law applies.

What is on a fire audit checklist for a hospital?

The DGCD list starts with 48 general items, then grows by height: 23 items for a hospital under 15 m on a small plot, 31 on a larger plot, 37 from 15 m to 24 m and 64 above 24 m up to 45 m, adding oxygen safety, ICU evacuation kits and a 24x7 fire command centre.

How often should fire systems be tested?

Maharashtra's 2026 schedule runs from daily panel and pump checks, through weekly detector and diesel pump tests and quarterly hydrant flow tests, to yearly hose reel tests, at least 20% of detectors each year and every detector within 5 years.

Should a fire audit in 2026 follow NBC 2016 or NBCS 2026?

The code your fire approval was issued under, which for most buildings is NBC 2016 Part 4. BIS withdrew it on 30 April 2026, but NBCS 2026 is voluntary unless your state adopts it; Uttar Pradesh's OSH rule 12 already applies it to large workplaces.

Is IS 2189:2008 still valid for fire alarm systems?

No. BIS withdrew IS 2189:2008 on 17 September 2026; IS 2189:2026, published on 17 March 2026, is the current detection and alarm code, and Maharashtra's October 2026 circular holds detection systems to it.

Can a building owner use this checklist instead of an auditor?

Only to prepare. Where a state requires an audit, a licensed or empanelled auditor must sign it, such as Maharashtra's Form V or Telangana's licence-numbered certificate; the owner's own declarations, like the Form B covering letter, carry legal liability of their own.

Keep reading

Words on this page, explained

Sources

Each source was opened and read on the date shown. How Flamekite checks its sources

  1. Directorate General Fire Services, Civil Defence and Home Guards, Ministry of Home Affairs (copy hosted by Maharashtra Fire and Emergency Services): Fire Safety Audit Checklist Advisory for Hospitals / Nursing Homes, F. No. VI-14022/09/2024-DGCD (F): general measures (48 items) and Categories A to D (23, 31, 37 and 64 items), 26 pages (opens in a new tab)checked 25 October 2026
  2. Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS-licensed copy hosted by Nagpur Municipal Corporation): National Building Code of India 2016, Part 4 Fire and Life Safety: clauses 3.4.5, 3.4.6.2, 3.4.7, 4.4.2 (Tables 4 and 5), 4.4.2.5 (Table 6), 4.5.2 and Annex E (opens in a new tab)checked 25 October 2026
  3. Bureau of Indian Standards (copy hosted by Goa Directorate of Fire and Emergency Services): SP 7:2026 National Building Construction Standards 2026, Part F: Fire and Life Safety (opens in a new tab)checked 25 October 2026
  4. Maharashtra Fire and Emergency Services: Guidelines for Form B, Annexure A: to be followed by licensed agencies issuing Form B under section 3(3) and rule 4(2) (circular of 7 July 2026) (opens in a new tab)checked 25 October 2026
  5. Director General, Telangana State Disaster Response and Fire Services: Circular Memorandum Rc.No.6402/MSB/2019, 28 January 2020: conducting of fire audit in all high-rise and non-high-rise buildings; third-party certificate uploaded every January, or every January and July, by height and use, with the 13-point certificate format (read from the page images) (opens in a new tab)checked 25 October 2026
  6. Bureau of Indian Standards, Know Your Standards database: Status records read 25 October 2026 for IS 2189, IS 2190, IS 15683, IS 16018, IS 3844, IS 13039, IS 15105, IS 15301, IS 9668, IS 12349, IS 3614, IS 2175 and IS 11360 (current or withdrawn, with dates) (opens in a new tab)checked 25 October 2026
Show all 20 sourcesShow fewer
  1. Central Board of Secondary Education: Circular No. 01/2022, 5 January 2022: safety of children in schools (valid building safety and fire safety certificates) (opens in a new tab)checked 25 October 2026
  2. Gazette of India (Bureau of Indian Standards notification): Gazette of India Extraordinary, Part III Sec 4, No. 299, 30 April 2026: SP 7:2026 established, SP 7:2016 withdrawn (Ref HQ-PUB013/1/2020-PUB-BIS (1529)) (opens in a new tab)checked 25 October 2026
  3. Assam Gazette Extraordinary No. 427, 14 August 2026 (PRS copy of the gazette): The Assam Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2026 (Assam Act No. XIII of 2026): Schedule item 4 amending sections 2, 20, 21 and 31 of the 2025 Act (opens in a new tab)checked 25 October 2026
  4. Uttar Pradesh Gazette Extraordinary, 27 August 2026, English translation (copy hosted by TeamLease RegTech): Uttar Pradesh Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Rules, 2026, Notification No. 962/XXXVI-03-2026-1903305: rules 12, 16, 43, 45, 46, 47 and 127 (opens in a new tab)checked 25 October 2026
  5. Urban Development Department, Government of Maharashtra (copy hosted by MFS): Maharashtra Fire Prevention and Life Safety Measures (Amendment) Rules, 2025, Notification No. MFS-2023/C.R.370/UD-14, 12 June 2025 (opens in a new tab)checked 25 October 2026
  6. Maharashtra Fire and Emergency Services: Circular No. MFS-2026/1420, 16 October 2026: Wireless Detection System, under IS 2189:2026 clause 4.9 (number and date read from the page image) (opens in a new tab)checked 25 October 2026
  7. Bureau of Indian Standards, Know Your Standards database: Status records for IS 3844:1989, IS 9668:1990, IS 13039:2014, IS 15301:2003, IS 5290:2025, IS 884:2025, IS 636:2018, IS 15105:2021, IS 1641:2013 and IS 8757:2021 (current or withdrawn, publication and validity dates) (opens in a new tab)checked 24 October 2026
  8. Delhi Fire Service: Fire safety requirements for nursing homes (scanned sheet, page dated 23 January 2025) (opens in a new tab)checked 25 October 2026
  9. Fire and Emergency Services and SDRF, Chhattisgarh: Equipment needed for a NOC by building type: 9 occupancies, with NBC Part 4 Table 7 (opens in a new tab)checked 24 October 2026
  10. Ministry of Tourism, Government of India: Revised guidelines for approval of hotels at project stage and star classification, No. 8-TI-I-1(3)/2013-PI-1 (opens in a new tab)checked 25 October 2026
  11. Press Information Bureau: Four Labour Codes made effective from 21 November 2025, with the transition statement (opens in a new tab)checked 25 October 2026
  12. Maharashtra Fire and Emergency Services: Office Order No. MFS/51/2021/417, 12 April 2021: fire safety audit of various vulnerable occupancies (read from the page images) (opens in a new tab)checked 25 October 2026
  13. Fire Adviser, Government of Maharashtra (Maharashtra Fire Services): Circular No. MFS/2015/10/1462, 16 September 2015, "Regarding Fire Audit": the licensed agency's Form B against a Fire Risk Audit, advised at least once a year for high-rise and other special buildings (read from the page images) (opens in a new tab)checked 25 October 2026
  14. Government of Telangana, Home (Services.IV) Department: G.O.Ms.No.15, 20 January 2026: empanelment of Third-Party Fire and Life Safety Auditors and Fire and Life Safety System Integrators (opens in a new tab)checked 25 October 2026
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