Rhode Island § 2-12-15 § 2-12-15. Emergency powers of director.

Rhode Island Statutes

§ 2-12-15 — § 2-12-15. Emergency powers of director.

Rhode Island § 2-12-15

Title 2Agriculture and Forestry

Ch. 2-12Forest Fires and Prevention

This text of Rhode Island § 2-12-15 (§ 2-12-15. Emergency powers of director.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Rhode Island primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook

R.I. Gen. Laws § 2-12-15 (2026).

Text

§ 2-12-15. Emergency powers of director.
Whenever, in his or her opinion, an unusual forest fire hazard exists, the governor
            shall in writing, notify the director of environmental management, and shall likewise
            notify the director when in his or her opinion the hazard has ceased to exist. Between
            the dates of the receipt by him or her of the notices, the director has full charge
            of the hazard and all fire chiefs and senior officers shall obey his or her orders
            or those of his or her authorized representatives; and he and she and his or her authorized
            representatives shall have all the powers of fire chiefs and senior officers and the
            dir

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§ 2-12-15. Emergency powers of director.

Whenever, in his or her opinion, an unusual forest fire hazard exists, the governor shall in writing, notify the director of environmental management, and shall likewise notify the director when in his or her opinion the hazard has ceased to exist. Between the dates of the receipt by him or her of the notices, the director has full charge of the hazard and all fire chiefs and senior officers shall obey his or her orders or those of his or her authorized representatives; and he and she and his or her authorized representatives shall have all the powers of fire chiefs and senior officers and the director of the department of environmental management may establish rates of payment for equipment used in the prevention and suppression of forest fires. Any time during this period of unusual forest fire hazard, the director may prohibit, by a written directive filed with the secretary of state and by public announcement, all open air fires and any other activity conducted in the open air that creates a forest or wildland fire hazard, in any areas of the state that he or she deems necessary to protect the health and property of the people of the state. Any person, firm or corporation who violates a directive, upon conviction, shall be liable to a fine not exceeding three hundred dollars ($300) nor less than fifty dollars ($50.00) or not exceeding ninety (90) days nor less than thirty (30) days' imprisonment or both for each offense and each day shall be considered a separate offense.