Fire lane

In urban areas in the United States, a fire lane is a marked lane in a parking lot that is near a structure or, in New York City, a traffic lane marked "Fire Lane" that runs along the centre of a street. Parking is prohibited in fire lanes to ensure the access of safety equipment to the structure in the event of an emergency. Fire lanes are defined as passageways or access roads that allow fire apparatuses to pass through. They are not intended for normal vehicle traffic. There are certain requirements that must be met when designing a fire lane. Because fire trucks and other apparatuses are so large, there must be certain accommodations made for them. Though these can vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, they are generally similar. Fire Lanes also provide clear space for egress from a burning building and should therefore be wider for larger occupancy buildings. In forested areas, a fire lane is a cleared path sufficiently wide that a fire on one side would not be able to jump to the other side of the lane. The purpose is to contain forest fires.