§ 23-28.2-11. Investigation of fires and attempted fires.
(a) The state fire marshal, and/or any of the deputy state fire marshals or assistant state fire marshals, may investigate any fire, or apparently attempted fire, and shall investigate the cause, origin, and circumstances of every fire of suspicious origin, by which property has been damaged or destroyed, or apparently attempted fire, and any fire where a fatality occurs as the result of the fire and, so far as it is possible, determine the cause of the fire. The investigation shall begin immediately after the occurrence of the fire, and local government officials shall cooperate completely and assist the state fire marshal’s office in all phases of the investigation.
(b) It shall be the responsibility of the local authority having jurisdiction to notify the state fire marshal’s office of any fire of suspicious or incendiary origin or where death may have resulted from the fire. The fire marshal shall adopt notification procedures.
(c) The state fire marshal, and/or any of the deputy state fire marshals or assistant state fire marshals, and/or municipal officials, including, without limitation, police, fire, and building officials, shall prohibit any and all insurance adjusters, contractors, and restoration companies from entering onto the property where the fire occurred to engage in any solicitation or inspection of the fire loss without the consent of the owner or occupant of the property and not until such time as either the municipal fire department and/or the state fire marshal, deputy state fire marshal, or assistant state fire marshal releases control of the premises back to its legal owner(s) or occupant(s).
(d) Any insurance adjuster, contractor, or restoration company in violation of the provisions of subsection (c) shall be subject to a civil penalty of one thousand dollars ($1,000) for each violation and may be subject to revocation of the appropriate professional license or registration.
History of Section.
P.L. 1966, ch. 216, § 1; G.L. 1956, § 23-28.2-10; P.L. 1973, ch. 176, § 2; G.L. 1956,
§ 23-28.2-8; P.L. 1975, ch. 165, § 7; P.L. 1982, ch. 87, § 1; P.L. 2016, ch. 379,
§ 1; P.L. 2016, ch. 393, § 1; P.L. 2017, ch. 35, § 1; P.L. 2017, ch. 40, § 1; P.L.
2022, ch. 364, § 1, effective June 29, 2022; P.L. 2022, ch. 365, § 1, effective June
29, 2022.