REMw^ED FIRE LAWS FOR TOWNS. 



Following are sections of the new law as amended in 1909: 



'Sec. 52. The selectmen of towns shall be forest fire wardens 

 therein, and the services of such selectmen acting as said fire wardens, 

 shall be paid for at the same rate as is paid for their other official ser- 

 vices. It shall be the duty of the fire wardens when a fire is discovered 

 to take such measures as may be necessary for its control and extin- 

 guishment. For this purpose they shall have authority to call upon 

 any person in the town for assistance, and such persons shall receive 

 such compensation, not exceeding twenty cents per hour, as said se- 

 lectmen may determine, the same to be paid by the town. But no town 

 shall be holden to pay for extinguishing forest fires in any year an 

 amount greater than two per cent upon its valuation for purposes of 

 taxation. If any person so ordered to assist and not excused from said 

 service by said forest fire wardens on account of sickness, disability, 

 or some important business or engagement, shall neglect to comply 

 with any such order he shall forfeit the sum of ten dollars, to be re- 

 covered in action of debt in the name and to the use of the town, by 

 the treasurer thereof. If any person shall suffer damage from fire in 

 consequence of the negligence or neglect of the selectmen of any 

 town to perform the duties required by this act, such person shall have 

 an action on the case to recover from the town where the fire occurs 

 to the amount of his damages so sustained not to exceed two per cent 

 of the valuation of said town. This act shall also apply to cities. The 

 chief engineer of the fire department of cities shall be forest fire wardens 

 and shall have the same powers and duties in carrying out the provisions 

 of this act as selectmen of towns.' 



Sec. 55. Whoever by himself, or by his servant, agent or guiide, or 

 as the servant, agent or guide of any other person, shall build a camp, 

 cooking or other fire, or use an abandoned camp, in or adjacent to 

 any woods in this state, shall, before leaving such fire, totally extinguish 

 the same, and upon failure to do so such person shall be punished by 

 a fine of fifty dollars, provided that such fires built upon the sea beach 

 in such situation that they cannot spread into forest wood or cultivated 

 lands or meadows, shall not be construed as prohibited by this section. 

 One half of any fine imposed and collected under this section shall bd 

 paid to the complainant. 



Sec. 56. Selectmen shall erect in a conspicuous place at the side of 

 every highway, as they may deem proper, and suitable distances along- 



