No one wants to hear on the day of a party or wedding that it needs to be cancelled because of an unsafe tent.
Now that summer is in full swing, Charlottesville and Albemarle fire and rescue squads are cracking down on tent inspections to make sure folks know the steps to put one up correctly.
Any tent over 700 square feet in Albemarle needs a fire marshal inspection and a permit.
In Charlottesville, party umbrellas that are 200 square feet or more need an inspection, and 900-square-foot tents require a permit.
Richard Jones with the Charlottesville Fire Department said, "Making sure that the fire exits are not blocked, that the exit signs, emergency lighting is up and there's nothing that could set the tent on fire or cause an emergency situation."
Both Charlottesville and Albemarle fire and rescue squads hope folks get their tents inspected, so they don't have tell people they can't have an event.
Charlottesville Fire Department needs 48 hours and Albemarle Fire & Rescue asks for a five-day notice in order to check out the tents.
