53-7-210 - Fire investigations by local officers -- Notification to division.
53-7-210. Fire investigations by local officers -- Notification to division.
(1) The chief fire officer of any city, town, or county fire department, or of any firedistrict or special service district organized for fire protection purposes, or his authorizedrepresentative shall investigate the cause, origin, and circumstances of each fire occurring in hisjurisdiction when property has been destroyed or damaged.
(2) The fire officer shall:
(a) begin the investigation immediately after the occurrence of the fire; and
(b) attempt to determine, among other things, whether the fire was the result ofcarelessness or of design.
(3) If the fire officer making this investigation determines that the fire appears to besuspicious, or of unknown origin, the officer may notify the division to request assistance.
Amended by Chapter 25, 2001 General Session