38-107 UNCONTROLLED FIRES A NUISANCE -- ABATEMENT -- CIVIL LIABILITY.
FORESTRY, FOREST PRODUCTS AND STUMPAGE DISTRICTS
CHAPTER 1
IDAHO FORESTRY ACT
38-107. Uncontrolled fires a nuisance -- Abatement -- Civil liability. Any forest or range fire burning out of control or without adequate and proper precautions having been taken to prevent its spread, is hereby declared a public nuisance, by reason of its menace to life and/or property. Any person responsible through his conduct, acts and/or control of property or operations for either the starting or the existence of such fire is hereby required to make a reasonable effort to control or extinguish it immediately, without awaiting instructions from the director of the department of lands or a fire warden. The director of the department of lands or any fire warden may summarily abate the nuisance thus constituted by controlling or extinguishing such fire and the person wilfully or negligently responsible for the starting or existence of such fire shall be liable for the costs incurred by the state or its authorized agencies in controlling or extinguishing the same. The amount of such costs shall be recovered by a civil action prosecuted in the name of the state of Idaho and any amounts recovered shall be paid to the state treasurer for deposit to the forest protection fund. Civil liability provided for herein shall be exclusive of and in addition to any criminal penalties otherwise provided.