Powers of members of the service on occasion of fire

On the occasion of fire in any area in which this Act is in force, any member of the fire service, who is in-charge of fire-fighting operations on the spot, may-

1. (a) remove, or order any other member of the service to remove, any person who by his presence interferes with or impedes the operation for extinguishing the fire or for saving life or property;
2. (b) close any street or passage in or near-which a fire is burning;
3. (c) for the purpose of extinguishing fire, break into or through or pull down any premises for the passage of those or appliances or cause them to be broken into or through or pulled down, doing as little damage as possible;
4. (d) require the authority in-charge of water supply in the area to regulate the water mains so as to 2[keep the fire hydrants functional round the clock and to] provide water at a specified pressure at the place where fire has broken out and utilise the water of any stream, cistern, well or tank or of any available source of water, public or private, for the purpose of extinguishing or limiting the spread of such fire;
5. (e) exercise the same powers for disbursing an assembly of persons likely to obstruct the fire-fighting operations as if he were an officer-in-charge of a police station and as such if such an assembly were an unlawful assembly and shall be entitled to the same immunities and protection as such an 1. Proviso added vide H.P. Act No. 16 of 2000. officer has in respect of the exercise of such powers;
6. (f) generally take such measures as may appear to him to be necessary for extinguishing the fire or for the protection of life or property in that area [; and]1 2[(g) require the authority in charge of water supply to identify more and more places for installation of fire-hydrants and water storage tanks keeping in view the expansion of town(s).]

² Inserted vide H.P. Act No. 16 of 2000.