2 72 STATE OF NEW YORK. 



Appointment of Firewardens. 



§ 276. The board of fisheries, game and forests shall appoint a firewarden in each town 

 within the counties mentioned in section two hundred and seventy of this chapter, who shall act 

 during the pleasure of such board. In such of these towns as are particularly exposed to 

 forest fires, or in which there is a large proportion of woodlands, or which may be specified by 

 the fisheries, game and forest commission, the firewarden thus appointed shall divide the 

 town into two or more districts, bounded as far as may be by roads, streams of water, dividing 

 ridges of land, or lot lines, and appoint, in writing, one resident citizen in each district as 

 district firewarden therein. A description of these districts and the names of the district fire- 

 wardens thus appointed shall be recorded in the office of the town clerk. The firewarden shall 

 also cause a map of the fire districts of his town to be posted in some public place together 

 with the names of the district firewardens appointed. The cost of such map, not exceeding ten 

 dollars, shall be a town charge. 



(As amd. by chap. 655 of Laws of 1896.) 



Duties and Powers of Firewardens. 



§ 277. On the discovery of a forest fire, or a fire in or near any woods, the firewarden of 

 the district shall repair immediately to the place where the fire is burning, and shall take such 

 measures as shall be necessary for its extinction or to prevent it from spreading. For this 

 purpose he may call on any person in his district, or adjoining district or town, to go to the fire 

 and render assistance in extinguishing it or controlling its progress, and any person refusing to 

 act or assist when so called on or warned out shall forfeit to the people of the state the sum of 

 ten dollars. The firewarden, where acting in general charge, may cause fences to be destroyed 

 or furrows to be ploughed to check the running of fire ; or, in case of great danger, back-fires 

 may be set along a road or stream or other line of defense to clear off the combustible material 

 before an advancing fire. No action for trespass shall be brought by any owner of lands for 

 entry made upon his premises by persons going to assist in extinguishing a forest fire, although 

 such fire may not be upon his land. The firewarden of every town in which a forest fire of 

 more than cne acre in extent has occurred within a year, shall report to the board of fisheries, 

 game and forests, ihe extent of area burned over, to the best of his information, together with 

 the probable amount of property destroyed, specifying the value of timber, as near as may be, 

 and amount of cord-wood, logs, bark, or other forest products, and of fences, bridges and 

 buildings that have been burned. He shall make inquiries and report as to the causes of such 

 fires, if ascertainable, and as to the measures employed and found most effectual in checking 

 their progress. A consolidated summary of these returns by counties, and of the information 

 relating to the same matter otherwise gathered, shall be included in the annual report of the 

 board of fisheries, game and forests. 



(As amd. by chap. 655 of Laws of 1896.) 



