Yep, fire code has indeed changed in 2009:
Quote:
New Alberta building code rules will require all new homes built from May 3 onward to feature fire-resistant walls in attached garages, the Alberta government will announce today.
But the rules will only affect new homes, not ones built before the May 3 implementation date the Stelmach cabinet approved this week.
Demanding gypsum board in attached garages helps curb one of the most common and dangerous sources of intense blazes, since the common wood-chip board walls and ceilings are fuel for fires. The approved changes will also require drywall for all parts of a vinyl-siding-clad house that are within 1.2 metres of the property line --such
as cantilevered dining rooms or fireplaces.
But since garages will re-quire not only drywall but also insulation and vapour barrier beneath, the provincial branch of the Canadian Home
Builders Association has warned the measure will affect housing affordability.
Alberta won't adopt the call for heat detectors in garages, since there aren't any on the market that will work properly in our harsh prairie winters.
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Unfortunately, way too to address the thousands of houses that have popped up in the Burbs this last boom cycle. They'll be dealing with multi house fires forever....
http://www.udialberta.com/2009.%20%2...e%20safety.pdf