Short answer: any Ontario kitchen that produces smoke or grease-laden vapours must have an exhaust and fire protection system that is built and maintained to NFPA 96, and NFPA 96 calls for the fire-extinguishing system to be inspected and serviced at least every six months. Instructions for operating the system by hand must be posted in the kitchen.
What the Ontario Fire Code says
- Article 2.6.1.12: a cooking operation producing smoke or grease-laden vapours must have an exhaust system and fire protection system in accordance with NFPA 96, Standard for Ventilation Control and Fire Protection of Commercial Cooking Operations (the Code references the 2014 edition). Individual residential suites, and cooking that produces only insignificant amounts of smoke or grease handled by other approved measures, are exempt.
- Article 2.6.1.13: those systems must be maintained in accordance with NFPA 96.
- Article 2.6.1.14: instructions for manually operating the fire protection system must be posted conspicuously in the kitchen, and included in the fire safety plan where one is required.
It is enforced
Missed semi-annual inspections are a real Fire Code charge in Ontario. In 2025, a Brantford restaurant business and its operator pleaded guilty to Fire Code offences that included failing to complete the semi-annual inspection of the kitchen ventilation and fire suppression system (City of Brantford).
What a six-month service covers
A suppression system service typically checks that:
- nozzles are clean, capped and aimed at the right appliances (appliances often move after a renovation);
- piping is secure and agent cylinders are charged to the right pressure;
- detection links and the release mechanism work, and fusible links are replaced as the manufacturer requires;
- fuel and electrical supplies to the cooking equipment shut off when the system discharges;
- the manual pull station is reachable and the operating instructions are posted;
- the system is tagged and the visit is recorded.
Hood and duct grease cleaning is a separate job with its own NFPA 96 schedule based on how much grease the kitchen produces.
Book the next service
We inspect and service kitchen fire suppression systems for restaurants and commercial kitchens from Cambridge, Ontario. Request a free site evaluation.
Summary of the Ontario Fire Code, O. Reg. 213/07, as published on e-Laws on November 2, 2026. Your local fire department has the final word for your building.