FOREST FIRES 19 



MASSACHUSETTS. 



Revised Laws, Chapter 32. Sections 1, 2 and 3 provide 

 for the appointment of a state fire marshal and make it his 

 duty to receive reports of fires and to investigate their causes. 

 The office of state fire marshal was afterwards abolished and 

 the duties of the office transferred to the Deputy Chief of 

 District Police. 



FOREST FIREWARDS. 



SECTION 16. Selectmen shall annually, in March or April, appoint Forest fire- 

 one or more forest fire wards, or, if towns having less than three ^I^oc SK R 



-LooDj -t'h) 5 !ij 5. 



hundred voters so vote, the selectmen may act as such. The engi- 

 neers of fire departments in cities in which a fire department exists 

 shall act as such. 



SECTION 17. In a town in which a forester has been appointed Forester to be 

 under the provisions of section fourteen of chapter fifty-three, he firewara? 3 

 shall be the chief forest fireward. He shall appoint a suitable number when, 

 of deputy forest firewards, one of whom, designated by him, shall ' 

 be assistant chief and shall in his absence perform his duties. He 

 may discharge such deputies and appoint others. He shall have sole 

 control of the extinguishment of forest fires in his town, and he or 

 his deputies shall act as forest firewards. 



SECTION 18. Forest firewards shall investigate the causes of fires Duties, 

 in woodlands and make report thereon to the mayor or selectmen. 1886 296 3 - 

 They shall post copies of this section, section sixteen and twenty of 

 this chapter and section seven of chapter two hundred and eight in 

 two or more public places in the city or town. 



SECTION 19. If a fire occurs in woodland, two or more of the forest Back fires in 

 firewards of the town, or of a town containing woodland which is ^4 228 8 

 endangered by such fire, who are present at a place in immediate P. S. 35, 9. 

 danger of being burned over, may set back fires and take all neces- 

 sary precautions to prevent the spread of the fire. 



SECTION 20. They may, if in their judgment there is danger from Foresters may 

 a forest fire, employ assistance or require any male person in their require aid, 

 town between the ages of eighteen arid fifty years to aid in its ex- 1886, 296, 6. 

 tinguishment or prevention, and may require the use of horses, 189 "> 254 5 - 

 wagons and other property adapted to that purpose, and shall keep 

 an account of the time of all persons assisting them and a schedule 

 of all property so used. 



SECTION 21. Whoever wilfully refuses or neglects, without suf- f^fjj JJ re ' 

 ficient cause, to assist, or to allow the use of his horses, wagons or 1397, 254, 6. 

 other property as required by the preceding section, shall, for each 

 offence, be punished by a fine of not less than five nor more than one 

 hundred dollars to be equally divided between the complainant and 

 the town, and may also be imprisoned for not more than sixty days. 



SECTION 22. Forest firewards shall take precautions to prevent Precautions 

 the progress of forest fires or the improper kindling thereof, and against forest 

 upon the discovery of such fire in their town shall immediately 1897, 254, 7. 

 summon the necessary assistance, proceed to the fire and extinguish 

 it. They shall cause warnings against the setting of fires and a 

 statement of the law relating thereto, printed in large letters on 

 cloth furnished by the selectmen at the expense of the town, to be 

 posted in suitable places. Whoever wilfully and maliciously tears 



