Del Mar's Fire Department completed all 31 of its state-mandated fire inspections for 2025, a perfect compliance record the City Council formally accepted in late August.

The inspections covered apartments, hotels and a school in the city, the San Diego Union-Tribune first reported. The annual reviews are required under a California law signed in 2018 that directs local fire departments to inspect certain occupied buildings and report results to their governing bodies. The law specifies that the report be presented when the local authority discusses its annual budget or at another time the authority determines, as reported by Patch.

Del Mar achieved the clean record during a year of upheaval in its fire services. The City of Encinitas ended its participation in a cooperative fire management agreement with Del Mar and Solana Beach effective March 31, according to a Del Mar city announcement. That agreement had been in place since 2009.

Del Mar and Solana Beach responded by building a shared management structure. The Del Mar City Council on April 21 approved a seven-member fire management staffing plan to oversee both cities' departments. Del Mar operates its own station with nine fire suppression crew members.

On April 23, the two cities announced that Bret Davidson, a former Vista deputy fire chief, would serve as chief of both the Del Mar and Solana Beach fire departments. Davidson's appointment took effect May 18.

Solana Beach also achieved 100% completion on its state-mandated inspections for 2025. The Solana Beach City Council accepted that report on July 15. At that meeting, Solana Beach Councilmember David Zito credited city personnel for staying on track during the transition.

"Clearly it's been a tricky year with the transition that has been ongoing with Encinitas pulling a funny trick on us last summer where we had to figure out how to transition the whole department," Zito said at the July 15 Solana Beach council meeting.

Under the state law, inspections check that exit doors are unobstructed, clearly marked and operable, and that exit signs are illuminated and pathways are clear. Inspectors also verify that fire extinguishers are present, properly mounted, of the correct type and carry current inspection tags, according to a Solana Beach council agenda report.

The Del Mar Fire Department can be reached at (858) 755-3294.