(a) State forest fire control personnel and district and deputy fire wardens shall, under the supervision of the State Forest Fire Warden, use all necessary means to prevent and extinguish forest fires.

(b) Such state forest fire control personnel shall assist the fire chief or the fire officer-in-charge in the control and direction of all persons and apparatus while engaged in extinguishing forest fires in their respective districts, or in other districts under the instructions of the State Forest Fire Warden.

(c) Such state forest fire control personnel and fire wardens may destroy fences, plow land or, in an emergency, close roads, with or without detours, and set backfires to hasten the control of any fire.

(d) Such state forest fire control personnel may summon any resident of the state between the ages of eighteen and fifty years to assist in extinguishing fires, and may also require the use of equipment, motor vehicles and other property needed for such purposes. Any person so summoned, who is physically able, who refuses or neglects to assist or to allow the use of equipment, motor vehicles or other material or property, or wilfully interferes with or hinders any warden or other person having authority under this section, shall be fined not more than two hundred dollars.

(e) No action for trespass shall lie against any person crossing or working upon lands of another to extinguish fire or for investigation thereof.

(1949 Rev., S. 3477; 1949, S. 1877d; P.A. 74-83, S. 2; P.A. 81-354, S. 3, 4; P.A. 96-180, S. 88, 166; P.A. 00-99, S. 67, 154; P.A. 01-150, S. 7.)

History: P.A. 74-83 allowed summons of any resident qualified with regard to age for fire-fighting duties, rather than any “male” resident in Subsec. (d); P.A. 81-354 changed title of forest rangers to state forest fire control personnel; P.A. 96-180 deleted obsolete Subsec. (g), which had empowered district fire wardens to collect expenses incurred in fire extinguishing for state, effective June 3, 1996; P.A. 00-99 deleted reference to powers of deputy sheriff in Subsec. (f), effective December 1, 2000; P.A. 01-150 deleted reference to state forest fire control personnel and district and deputy fire wardens enforcing all statutes for the protection of forest and timber land from fire from Subsec. (a), amended Subsec. (b) to require state forest fire control personnel to assist the fire chief or fire officer-in-charge, amended Subsec. (d) by substituting “equipment” for “horses” and “wagons” in extinguishing fires, increased the fine for failing to assist or interfering in the containment of a fire to $200 and deleted Subsec. (f) concerning the arrest powers of state forest fire control personnel.

Cited. 119 C. 602.