2005 Minnesota Statutes

     88.11 Assistance for fighting fires. 

    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.  

    HIST: (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