Powers exercisable on occasion of fire.

(1) On the occasion of a fire or alarm of fire, the Director or the officer-in-charge of a fire station or the officer-in-charge of the members of the fire brigade on the spot may- (a) remove or order any member of the fire brigade to remove any person who by his presence interferes with or impedes the due operation of the fire brigade; (b) close any street or passage in or near which a fire has taken or is likely to take place; (c) by himself or by any member of the fire brigade enter, break into or through or pull down any premises for the purpose of extinguishing fire or for the passage of hose or other fire-fighting appliances, doing as little damage as possible; (d) require the authority in charge of water supply in the area to regulate the water mains and pipes or cause the mains and pipes to be shut off so as to provide water at a specified pressure at the place where the 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; (e) exercise the same powers for dispersing any assembly or persons likely to obstruct the operation of the fire brigade, as if he were an officer-in-charge of a police-station and as if such an assembly were an unlawful assembly and shall be entitled to the same immunities and protection as such an officer, in respect of the exercise of such powers; (f) generally take such measures as may appear necessary for the preservation of life and property. (2) The Director or the officer-in-charge of a fire station or the officer-in-charge of the members of the fire brigade on the spot may verbally nominate and depute one or more members of the fire brigade to act at a distance, and such member or members shall have for the time being the like powers as the Director or such officer himself possesses under this section.