S-704                 _______________________________________________

                                                   SENATE BILL NO. 5442

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State of Washington                              50th Legislature                              1987 Regular Session

By Senator Barr

Read first time 1/29/87 and referred to Committee on Natural Resources.

AN ACT Relating to forest fires; and adding a new section to chapter 76.04 RCW.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  A new section is added to chapter 76.04 RCW to read as follows:

          Upon arriving at the scene of a forest fire, the employees or agents of the department shall have the first priority to attempt to extinguish the fire, and attempts to conduct a survey of contiguous property to ascertain the necessity to remove individuals or property from the area of the fire shall be secondary to that responsibility:  PROVIDED, HOWEVER, That this requirement does not mean that individuals in immediate danger from the fire may not be assisted.