Rhode Island § 2-12-10 - Forest Fires and Prevention

§ 2-12-10. Fire upon land of another — Penalty — Liability for damages.

(a) Any person being upon the land of another, or upon any highway adjacent to this land, who carelessly sets or maintains, or causes to be set or maintained, fire upon the land of another, shall, upon conviction, be punished by a fine of not less than twenty-five dollars ($25.00) nor more than two hundred dollars ($200) or by imprisonment for not less than ten (10) days nor more than thirty (30) days, or both.

(b) Any person being upon the land of another or upon any highway adjacent to this land, who willfully sets or maintains or willfully causes to be set or maintained fire upon land of another, shall, upon conviction, be punished by a fine of not more than two thousand dollars ($2,000) nor less than twenty-five dollars ($25.00) or by imprisonment for not more than five (5) years nor less than thirty (30) days, or both.

(c) Any person who carelessly suffers or permits any fire on his or her own land to extend beyond the limits of their own land, whereby the forest land or property of another are damaged shall upon conviction be punished by a fine of not more than two hundred dollars ($200) nor less than twenty-five dollars ($25.00).

(d) Any person convicted of the provisions of this section and of § 2-12-6 is liable for all damages caused and to civil action for the payment to the state or local fire company for all expenses incurred by the fire chief or senior officer or any other authorized forest fire official in attending or suppressing the fire or fires as a result from that action.