Almanac note · Home and property
Alarm checks are small home maintenance
CAL FIRE and State Fire Marshal materials help households treat smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms as routine checks instead of move-in paperwork.
Smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms are easy to ignore because they sit quietly until they do not. The best time to think about them is a regular day, not a smoky night or power outage.
Walk the house once in a while. Check that alarms are present, powered, not painted over, not past their useful life, and not blocked by shelves or furniture. Rental homes, older homes, garages, additions, and bedrooms over a garage are worth a closer look.
CAL FIRE and the State Fire Marshal have home fire safety information. Keep the alarm manuals or model numbers if you can. If an alarm chirps, find the reason instead of removing the battery and forgetting it.
Where to see it
CAL FIRE and Office of the State Fire Marshal home fire safety pages.
Official sources
Official source trail
Reviewed July 4, 2026
California Porch explains the path. The official source is still the place to confirm the current rule, fee, form, map, deadline, or office decision.
Use the official page before you spend money, file paperwork, rely on a deadline, or change a property.
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