Title 18, Fires

The state fire marshal may delegate to the department of health and human services or any political subdivision the authority to conduct investigations, surveys, or inspections, and the authority to enforce compliance where violations are discovered, which become the responsibili…

The state fire marshal, under the supervision of the insurance commissioner, shall make rules not inconsistent with the provisions of this code for the prevention of fires and shall explain such rules fully to all state, county, and municipal boards and officers. All such rules m…

The state fire marshal has the authority to provide educational programs on the hazards of fire.

Each insurer authorized to transact fire insurance business in this state is hereby required to report to the state fire marshal, either directly or through an approved agency, fire losses on property insured in the company, giving the name of the insured, the date of the fire, t…

1. The state fire marshal or any law enforcement officer as defined by section 12.1-01-04 may, in writing, require an insurance company at interest to release to the fire marshal or officer any or all relevant information or evidence deemed important which the company may have in…

Within thirty days after the occurrence of any fire in which property in a city or rural fire protection district has been destroyed or damaged, an organization that is contracted by a political subdivision for fire protection or the fire chief of such city or rural fire protecti…

An investigation of each fire must be made by the officers required to report the occurrence of fires under section 18-01-06. When the state fire marshal deems it expedient or necessary, the state fire marshal may supervise and direct any of such investigations. Within thirty day…

If any investigation made pursuant to the provisions of section 18-01-07 is insufficient in the opinion of the state fire marshal, the state fire marshal shall take or cause to be taken the sworn testimony of all persons having any means of knowledge in relation to the matter und…

The state fire marshal and the state fire marshal's deputies have the power in any county in the state to summon and compel the attendance of witnesses to testify in relation to any matter which is being investigated pursuant to the provisions of this chapter and to that end may …

Any person summoned to be a witness at any investigation conducted by the state fire marshal or by a deputy state fire marshal under the provisions of this chapter is guilty of a class B misdemeanor who: 1. Refuses to be sworn; 2. Refuses to testify; 3. Disobeys any lawful order …

Any person who interferes in any way with the state fire marshal or a deputy state fire marshal in the performance of that officer's duties is guilty of a class A misdemeanor.

If the state fire marshal, a deputy state fire marshal, or any other officer mentioned in section 18-01-06 finds a building or other structure which is subject to fire because of age or dilapidation, defective or poorly installed electrical wiring or equipment, defective chimneys…

If the state fire marshal or a deputy state fire marshal finds in any building or upon any premises any condition which is a danger or a menace to the safety of life and limb of the occupants of that building or of any adjacent building, such officer shall issue an order for the …

An order of abatement must be in writing and must state concisely the grounds upon which it is based. It must be made against the owner, lessee, or occupant of the building or premises therein described and must be served personally or by registered or certified mail upon the per…

If the owner, lessee, agent, or occupant of any building or premises described in an abatement order is aggrieved by such order and desires a hearing thereon, the person may complain or appeal in writing to the state fire marshal within five days from the service of the order, an…

If a person is aggrieved by a final order of the state fire marshal ordering an abatement after the hearing provided for in the preceding section, such person may appeal to the district court of the county in which the property is situated and to the supreme court from an adverse…

The state fire marshal, at any time after an abatement order has become final, may file a copy thereof in the office of the clerk of the district court of the county in which the premises affected by the order are situated and thereafter all proceedings with reference thereto are…

1. There must be served upon the owner, mortgagee, lessee, tenant, occupant, and other persons known to have or claim any interest in the premises described in the order of abatement a copy of the abatement order and a written notice stating: a. The title of the proceeding. b. Th…

Service of the abatement order and notice described in section 18-01-20 may be made by publication in the same manner as a summons is published in a civil action, upon the order of the district court having jurisdiction of the proceeding. The order for publication must be issued …

Any party having or claiming to have an interest in the premises described in the abatement order may appear and state the party's objections to said order in writing within twenty days after the service of the order and notice upon the party. After such period has expired, the c…

The proceeding in the district court may be brought on for hearing and determination by the state fire marshal or by any other party thereto at any time after thirty days have elapsed after the completion of service upon all the parties appearing to be interested therein. In the …

At the time set for the hearing in the district court, or as soon thereafter as practicable, the court shall hear and determine the issues raised by the abatement order and the objections thereto and shall make its findings of fact and conclusions of law therein as in other civil…

The order of abatement made by the state fire marshal, if no appeal is taken therefrom, is conclusive upon all parties to whom notice of the order was given as provided in section 18-01-16. If an appeal was taken from such order, the judgment of the court on appeal is conclusive …

If the court finds that the order of the state fire marshal is just and proper, the judgment must provide for the enforcement thereof within such time and in such manner as must be therein designated. By said judgment or by an appropriate order based thereon, the court may direct…

Costs and disbursements may be taxed, allowed, and entered in the judgment of the court in a proceeding to enforce an abatement order made by the state fire marshal in the same manner as in other civil actions. If the sheriff or state fire marshal has incurred expenses in the enf…

All records in the state fire marshal department must be public, except that the state fire marshal may withhold from the public any testimony, correspondence, or other matter secured in any investigation made under the provisions of this chapter.

The state fire marshal may submit a biennial report to the governor and the secretary of state in accordance with section 54-06-04.

The state's attorney of any county, upon the request of the state fire marshal or the state fire marshal's deputies or assistants, shall assist such officers upon the investigation of any fire which, in their opinion, is of suspicious origin.

All officers not employees of the state fire marshal department who perform any services at the request of the state fire marshal or of a deputy state fire marshal shall receive the same fees as such officers are allowed for like services in proceedings in the district court.

Any officer referred to in this chapter who neglects to comply with any of the requirements of this chapter must be punished by a fine of not less than twenty-five dollars nor more than one hundred dollars for each neglect or violation.

The state fire marshal may adopt safety rules for the storage, sale, and use of combustibles and explosives, not otherwise provided by law. Any person who willfully refuses to comply with the safety rules adopted by the state fire marshal is guilty of a class B misdemeanor. Rules…

The state forester may cooperate and contract jointly or severally with departments and agencies of this or other states, with federal agencies, with counties, townships, or other political subdivisions, including rural fire protection districts, rural fire departments, municipal…

The North Dakota firefighter's association consists of the various organized fire departments and fire protection districts within this state, and each fire department, fire protection district, and firefighter within the state is entitled to membership in the association upon co…

The North Dakota firefighter's association shall: 1. Develop and adopt a statewide fire education and training plan; 2. Coordinate fire service training at all levels; 3. Establish procedures to govern the certification process for firefighter training; and 4. Report quarterly to…

Fire schools must be held annually under the direction of the North Dakota firefighter's association. The schools must be held at such times and in such places in North Dakota as may be designated by the North Dakota firefighter's association executive board. Fire schools may be …

The North Dakota firefighter's association shall submit to the office of management and budget an annual report of all fire schools held in the state. The association also shall furnish to the office of management and budget the name and address of the treasurer of the associatio…

The North Dakota firefighter's association shall file with the office of the state fire marshal a bond in the penal sum of two thousand dollars conditioned for the faithful disposition of the funds distributed from the insurance regulatory trust fund for the use of the associatio…

Not later than July first of each year next preceding a regular session of the legislative assembly, the North Dakota firefighter's association shall send to the state fire marshal an itemized statement of the amount of money necessary to promote the efficiency and growth of the …

The director of the budget shall include with its estimates an estimate of the amounts necessary to be appropriated to promote the efficiency and growth of the different fire departments and fire protection districts of the association and to conduct fire schools.

Not later than the first day of August of each year, the insurance commissioner shall pay to the North Dakota firefighter's association one million two hundred thousand dollars from the insurance regulatory trust fund. The sum, however, may not be paid until the treasurer of the …

On or before the first day of July of each year, the president, secretary, and treasurer of the North Dakota firefighter's association shall make to the office of management and budget a full and complete report, duly verified by the secretary, of the disposition of all moneys re…

1. To become eligible for the benefits provided under this chapter, a city, or one or more townships or fire districts, shall maintain therein for at least eight months before the filing of the certificate required under section 18-04-02 a fire district, fire protection district,…

1. On or before the thirty-first day of October in each year, the auditor or secretary of any city or rural fire department that has an organized fire department shall file with the state fire marshal and with the insurance commissioner the auditor's or secretary's certificate st…

If the certificate required by section 18-04-02 is not filed with the office of management and budget and insurance commissioner on or before the thirty-first day of October, the city or rural fire department failing to file the same must be deemed to have waived and relinquished…

1. The insurance commissioner, when the commissioner forwards to an insurance company which is issuing policies for fire, allied lines, homeowner's multiple peril, farmowner's multiple peril, commercial multiple peril, and crop hail insurance in this state the form to be used in …

The insurance tax distribution fund is a special fund in the state treasury. The portion of revenue provided in section 26.1-03-17 must be deposited in the fund for disbursement as provided in this chapter and chapter 23-46.