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Codes, Permits & Fire Safety·October 01, 2026·@wbeasley_61

Condo board just cited 'fire marshal concerns' to shut down our underground garage EV charging proposal -- is this a real thing or just an easy excuse?

Been trying to get our condo board to approve even a couple of shared Level 2 chargers in our underground garage for almost a year now. Last meeting they came back with a letter saying the fire marshal's office has concerns about lithium battery fires in below-grade structures and won't sign off, full stop. No specifics, no 'here's what you'd need to change,' just a flat no. A few of us are wondering if this is a genuine, current fire-code position or if someone found one scary headline and is using it to avoid dealing with the electrical upgrade cost. Has anyone actually gotten a real fire marshal opinion in writing, or successfully appealed something like this? Trying to figure out if we're fighting a real regulation or just an HOA board looking for a reason to say no.

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21 ANSWERS

@jwozniakOctober 01, 2026

What state? Depending on where you are, the board may not get to just say no.

@tim_okonkwoOctober 02, 2026

There is some truth to it, but not the way your board is using it. Some fire departments really have gotten twitchy about EVs parked below grade, because when one goes it burns long and hot and it is hard to get water on it in a low ceiling garage. I have seen new construction move chargers up to the ground floor because of that. But you are not adding a car by adding a charger. If there are EVs parking down there today, the risk is already sitting in the garage. All a charger does is change where the electrons come from. my bet is the electrical cost is the real reason and the fire letter is the easy cover. Ours was expensive and that was with a building that had capacity to spare.

@dtorres22October 01, 2026

My HOA in SoCal told me no as well. They didn't bring up fire. They said it would need a 1,000 ft electrical line and city permits, and that was the end of it. I've been on public DCFC for 4 years and 68k miles in my ID.4 since then. It works, but I wouldn't wish it on anyone if they have a choice. Was the letter actually from the fire marshal or from the board?

@nkowalskiOctober 02, 2026

Are EVs allowed to park in that garage right now? If they are, the board's argument falls apart. A Mach-E sitting on a charger has the same battery as a Mach-E sitting next to one.

@wbeasley_61October 03, 2026

We're in Oregon. The letter is from the board, on board letterhead. It says the board "consulted with" the fire marshal's office. There's no name and no date on the consultation. And yes, there are at least 4 EVs that park down there now, including mine.

@jwozniakOctober 02, 2026

"Consulted with"... so a phone call.

@tim_okonkwoOctober 05, 2026

That is not a fire marshal position. A real one comes with a code section or a list of conditions like sprinklers, an emergency shutoff, or where the chargers can go. Call the office yourself and ask if anything for your address was ever reviewed. It is a public office, so they have to talk to you. And if they have 4 EVs parked down there with no chargers and they are fine with that, then they are not actually worried about the fire.

@nkowalskiOctober 02, 2026

In the meantime, is there a regular outlet anywhere near your spot? I've charged on L1 only for over four years. People underestimate it badly, and it is a much smaller ask than new L2 wiring.

@dtorres22October 02, 2026

Agree with calling the office. My board never showed me the quote they based their decision on either. When they don't show you the paperwork it usually means there isn't any.

@wbeasley_61October 01, 2026

There are two outlets in the whole garage. One is by the trash room and the other one powers the gate motor, I think. So no. I'll call the fire marshal's office this week. Honestly I'm half afraid they'll say something real and then we're stuck.

@tim_okonkwoOctober 03, 2026

If they do it will be conditions, not a no. Conditions you can price out and take back to the board. A flat no from a person nobody can name you can't do anything with.

@rhenley_64October 02, 2026

Fellow Oregonian here. I'm pretty sure Oregon has a law on the books for condo owners installing chargers at their own expense... the board can make you carry insurance and use a licensed electrician, but I don't think they can just flat out say no. Look it up before you call, I don't remember the statute number off the top of my head. Also lol at the gate motor outlet, don't even think about it!

@Priya SharmaVerified ExpertOctober 04, 2026

The statute @rhenley_64 is thinking of is ORS 100.627. It lets a condo owner install a charger at their own expense in their own unit's parking space or a limited common element space assigned to them. The board can set reasonable conditions like insurance, a licensed electrician, and paying for your own electricity, but it can't just refuse. Keep in mind it covers your own spot, not shared chargers the board pays for, so check your declaration to see whether your space is assigned to your unit.

@bkruegerOctober 03, 2026

If they come back with conditions, ask for them by email. A phone call is how you ended up with "consulted with" in the first place.

@dmacleod_October 01, 2026

4 EVs already parked down there and no charger. so the fire risk is already there they just dont want to pay for the wiring

@hank_delaneyOctober 02, 2026

The two outlets for the whole garage thing tells you everything. That building was wired for lights and a gate motor and nothing else. We've done L1 on two cars for years and it's plenty for us, but there's nothing to plug into down there, so that's not an option for you.

@sandra_whitleyOctober 01, 2026

Also, the outlet by the trash room is not a candidate. Leave it alone.

@mlarsen_October 04, 2026

Half the posts on here about melted plugs are from regular outlets that got a car plugged in all night. So if the board does offer the trash room outlet I would still push for a proper circuit.

@sharon_dOctober 06, 2026

If they do end up offering an outlet, it needs to be a dedicated 20A circuit with a commercial or industrial grade receptacle. A cheap residential outlet that gets plugged and unplugged every day and then carries 12A for ten hours a night is the one that melts. Most of the melted plug posts come from that kind of setup.

@craig_dentonOctober 06, 2026

Two outlets for a whole underground garage tells me the board's real problem is the panel. Before the next meeting, ask what size the garage service is and whether anyone has done a load calc. Boards tend to imagine a separate 50A circuit for every spot.

@vmarchettiOctober 09, 2026

Agree with craig. Most of the time a board hears "EV charging", gets one quote for a new service and a dedicated circuit for every spot, and that's the number they react to. A load calc based on the building's actual demand usually shows a lot more headroom than people expect. Overnight a garage is mostly lights and exhaust fans. For perspective, my house is on an ancient 100A service and it runs a 32A charger on a 40A breaker that feeds three BEVs. If a single family home can do that, a condo building's service can handle a couple of shared chargers with load management. The fire letter may just be easier to say out loud than "we got a scary quote and didn't ask any follow-up questions."