I. The wardens and the deputy wardens in unorganized places shall render to the director a like statement of such expenses as they have lawfully incurred under this chapter in suppressing or preventing fires in woodlands within one month of the date upon which such expenses are incurred.
II. The statement shall be audited by the director, and, if approved, the director shall draw an order upon the state treasurer for the same.
III. The expenses lawfully incurred by a warden or deputy warden in presuppression, prevention, and suppression of woodland fires in unorganized places, computed at rates within limits established by the department and excluding the initial cost of firefighting equipment, shall be paid in the first instance by the state. Any person causing or kindling a fire in an unorganized place without a permit from the forest fire warden and written permission of the woodland owner, if no previous arrangement exists between the forest fire warden and the woodland owner when such permit is required under RSA 227-L:17, I-III, and any person, by whose negligence or by the negligence of the person’s agents any fires shall be caused, shall be liable to the state in a civil action for the payment of all expenses incurred in extinguishing the fire. If a fire results from unknown or natural causes, up to
1/2 of the costs, but in no case to exceed 10 percent of the assessed valuation of the property in the place, shall thereafter be added to the tax assessed the following year against the place in the same manner as is provided for the assessment of property taxes.
Source. 1995, 299:1, eff. Jan. 1, 1996.