Subdivision 1. Firefighting personnel. At any time forest officers, with the approval of the commissioner, may employ suitable persons to prevent and extinguish any fires. Each forest officer so employed shall be supplied with the necessary equipment. The commissioner, or any forest officer, may summon any person of the age of 18 years and upward to assist in stopping any fire burning in the district under the care of such state employee and may incur any other necessary and reasonable expense for this purpose, but shall promptly report the matter to the next superior officer or other state employee over the forest officer.
Subd. 2. Failure to assist; penalty; commandeered property. Any able-bodied person so summoned who refuses or neglects or otherwise fails to assist in extinguishing such fire or who fails to make all reasonable efforts to that end, until released by the summoning state employee, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor. The forest officer shall have power to commandeer, for the time being, equipment, tools, appliances, or other property in the possession of any person either summoned to assist in extinguishing the fire or in the vicinity thereof, and to use, and to require the persons summoned to use, the commandeered property in the fighting and extinguishing of the fire. The owner of any property so commandeered shall be promptly paid just compensation for the use thereof and all damages done to the commandeered property while in this use by the forest officer from any money available for these expenses under sections 88.03 to 88.22.
(4031-16) 1925 c 407 s 16; 1967 c 146 s 8; 1986 c 444; 1987 c 49 s 2; 1993 c 328 s 20
Structure Minnesota Statutes
Chapter 88 — Division Of Forestry
Section 88.02 — Citation; Wildfire Act.
Section 88.04 — Firebreaks; Preventing Fires.
Section 88.041 — Agreements To Prevent And Suppress Wildfires.
Section 88.05 — Roadsides; Clearing; Firebreaks.
Section 88.06 — Removing Dead Or Down Timber.
Section 88.065 — Equipment Furnished.
Section 88.067 — Grants To Local Fire Departments.
Section 88.068 — Volunteer Fire Assistance Grant Account.
Section 88.08 — Wildfire Protection Districts.
Section 88.09 — Acquiring Land For Fire Protection.
Section 88.10 — Authority Of State Forest Officers.
Section 88.11 — Assistance For Fighting Fires.
Section 88.12 — Compensating Wildfire Fighters; Emergency Expenses.
Section 88.14 — Disposal Of Slashings And Debris.
Section 88.16 — Starting And Reporting Fires.
Section 88.17 — Permission To Start Fires; Prosecution For Unlawfully Starting Fires.
Section 88.171 — Open Burning Prohibitions.
Section 88.20 — Railroad Companies To Provide Patrol Officers.
Section 88.21 — Railroads; Duties; Penalties.
Section 88.22 — Wildfire Prevention; Restrictions And Penalties.
Section 88.28 — Law Divided Into Parts.
Section 88.29 — County Boards; Jurisdiction, Powers.
Section 88.30 — Clearing And Improving Lands.
Section 88.31 — Surveys And Plats.
Section 88.32 — Appraisers; Assessing Benefits And Damages; Statements And Reports.
Section 88.33 — Hearings; Notice; Service; Date; Adjournments.
Section 88.34 — Hearing On Petition; Elimination Of Lands.
Section 88.35 — Rereference Of Petition.
Section 88.36 — Order For Improvements.
Section 88.37 — Appeals From Orders For Improvements.
Section 88.38 — Contracts For Improvements; Duties Of County Auditor; Seeding Of Cleared Lands.
Section 88.39 — Work Of Improvement; Duties Of Engineers; Payments To Contractors.
Section 88.40 — Bond Issues To Pay For Improvements.
Section 88.41 — County Auditors; Tabular Statements; Powers And Duties.
Section 88.42 — Improvements By Towns And Cities; Limitation Of Indebtedness.
Section 88.43 — Firebreaks; Clearing Lands.
Section 88.44 — Acquiring Property.
Section 88.45 — Municipalities To Cooperate.
Section 88.46 — Laws Applicable.
Section 88.491 — Expired Contracts.
Section 88.51 — Auxiliary Forests; Tax Rate, Special Taxes.
Section 88.52 — Cutting Timber; Taxation.
Section 88.523 — Auxiliary Forest Contracts; Supplemental Agreements.
Section 88.53 — Disposal After Land Ceases To Be Auxiliary Forest; Rules.
Section 88.642 — Decorative Materials.
Section 88.6435 — Decorative Materials; Buyers.
Section 88.647 — Relation To Existing Laws.
Section 88.648 — Criminal Penalties; Misdemeanor.
Section 88.73 — Administration; Delegated Powers And Duties.
Section 88.75 — Violations; Penalties.
Section 88.77 — Disposition Of Fines And Penalties.
Section 88.79 — State Forest Service To Private Owners.
Section 88.80 — Aspen Recycling Program.