Powers of Magistrate, Commissioner of Municipal Board, and other persons for suppression of fires

Powers of Magistrate, Commissioner of Municipal Board, and other persons for suppression of fires-

1. (1) On the occasion of a fire in a municipality, any Magistrate, or any Commissioner of a Municipal Board, or the person in charge of a fire brigade maintained by the Board, and directing the operations in connection with the fire, or any police officer above the rank of constable, when so directed by the Magistrate or Commissioner, may-
   • (a) remove or order the removal of any person who by his presence interferes with or impedes the operations for extinguishing the fire, or for saving life or property.
   • (b) close any street or passage in or near which any fire is burning;
   • (c) for the purpose of extinguishing the fire or preventing its spread break into or pull down or cause to be broken into a pulled down oruse for the passage of any house or other appliance, any premises;
   • (d) cause main and pipes to be shut off so as to give greater pressure of water in the place where the fire occurred;
   • (e) call on the person in charge of any fire engine to render such assistance as may be possible;
   • (f) generally take such measures as may appear necessary for the preservation of life or property.
2. (2) No person shall be liable to pay damages for any act done by him under sub-section (1) of this section in good faith.
3. (3) When the State Government pass an order to take over under its control the fire fighting services in a municipality, the Board shall make over the same to such authority, as the State Government may appoint in this behalf. When the fire fighting servicesare taken over by the State Government the concerning Board or any Commissioner thereof, as the case may be, shall cease to exercise any power under Section 250 and this section and no fee under Section 68 (1)
   • (i) shall be levied with effect from the datefrom which the fire fighting organization of the Board is taken over by the State Government unless the State Government direct that the fee shall continue to be levied and the income derived there from shall be payable to the State Government after deducting reasonable connection charge as fixed by the State Government.