Washington · statute · Wash. Rev. Code ch. 76.04 · 67 active provisions
ADMINISTRATION As used in this chapter, the following terms have the meanings indicated unless the context clearly requires otherwise.(1) "Additional fire hazard" means a condition existing on any land in the state:(a) Covered wholly or in part by forest debris which is likely to further the spread of fire and thereby…
(1) The department may, at its discretion, appoint trained personnel possessing the necessary qualifications to carry out the duties and supporting functions of the department and may determine their respective salaries.(2) The department shall have direct charge of and supervision of all matters pertaining to the fore…
The department when acting, in good faith, in its statutory capacity as a fire prevention and suppression agency, is carrying out duties owed to the public in general and not to any individual person or class of persons separate and apart from the public. Nothing contained in this title, including but not limited to an…
(1)(a) The department must make every reasonable effort to accommodate a livestock owner's request to retrieve or care for animals in his or her charge that are at risk due to a wildfire.(b) The department may only prohibit livestock owners, or the owner's employees or agents, from retrieving or caring for livestock th…
The department shall receive and disburse any and all moneys contributed, allotted, or paid by the United States under the authority of any act of Congress for use in cooperation with the state of Washington in protecting and developing forests.
(1) The department may appoint any of its employees as wardens, at the times and localities as it considers the public welfare demands, within any area of the state where there is forestland requiring protection.(2) The duties of wardens shall be:(a) To provide forest fire prevention and protection information to the p…
(1) All Washington state patrol officers, fish and wildlife officers, deputy state fire marshals, and state park rangers, while in their respective jurisdictions, shall be ex officio rangers.(2) Employees of the United States forest service, when recommended by their forest supervisor, and citizens of the state advanta…
Any notice required by law to be served by the department, warden, or ranger shall be sufficient if a written or printed copy thereof is delivered, mailed, telegraphed, or electronically transmitted by the department, warden, or ranger to the person to receive the notice or to his or her responsible agent. If the name…
Department employees appointed as wardens, persons commissioned as rangers, and all police officers may arrest persons violating this chapter, without warrant, as prescribed by law.
Any person who violates any of the orders or rules adopted under this chapter for the protection of forests from fires is guilty of a misdemeanor and subject to the penalties for a misdemeanor under RCW 9A.20.021, unless another penalty is provided.
Unless specified otherwise, violations of the provisions of this chapter shall be a misdemeanor and subject to the penalties for a misdemeanor under RCW 9A.20.021.
When any responsible protective agency or agencies composed of timber owners other than the state agrees to undertake systematic forest protection in cooperation with the state and such cooperation appears to the department to be more advantageous to the state than the state-provided forest fire services, the departmen…
The department may enter into contracts and undertakings with private corporations for the protection and development of the forestlands within the state, subject to the provisions of this chapter.
Before any private corporation may enter into any contract under RCW 76.04.105, there shall be incorporated into the articles of incorporation or charter of such corporation a provision requiring that the corporation, out of its earnings or earned surplus, and in a manner satisfactory to the department, annually set ap…
Any undertaking for the protection and development of the forestlands of the state under RCW 76.04.105 shall be regulated and controlled by a contract to be entered into between the private corporation and the department. The contract shall outline the lands involved and the conditions and details of the undertaking, i…
(1) For the purpose of promoting and facilitating cooperation among fire protection agencies, including the department, and between the department and other agencies that manage lands owned by the state, and to more adequately protect life, property, and the natural resources of the state, the department may enter into…
(1) The department may employ a sufficient number of persons to extinguish or prevent the spreading of any fire that may be in danger of damaging or destroying any timber or other property on department protected lands. The department may provide needed tools and supplies and may provide transportation when necessary f…
(1) The legislature finds and declares that forestlands within the state are increasingly being used for residential purposes; that the risk to life and property is increasing from forest fires which may destroy developed property; that, based on the primary missions for the respective fire control agencies established…
(1) The legislature hereby finds and declares that:(a) Forest wildfires are a threat to public health and safety and can cause catastrophic damage to public and private resources, including clean air, clean water, fish and wildlife habitat, timber resources, forest soils, scenic beauty, recreational opportunities, econ…
(1) The department shall, by June 1 of each year, establish a list of fire suppression equipment, such as portable showers, kitchens, water tanks, dozers, and hauling equipment, provided by the department so that the cost by unit or category can be determined and can be compared to the expense of utilizing private vend…
Before constructing or purchasing any equipment listed in RCW 76.04.175(1) for wildfire suppression, the department shall compare the per use cost of the equipment to be purchased or constructed with the per use cost of utilizing private equipment. If utilizing private equipment is more effective and efficient, the dep…
(1) The commissioner must appoint and maintain a wildland fire advisory committee to generally advise the commissioner on all matters related to wildland firefighting in the state. This includes, but is not limited to, developing recommendations regarding department capital budget requests related to wildland firefight…
(1) To maximize the effective utilization of local fire suppression assets, the department is required to:(a) Actively engage in ongoing prefire season outreach and recruitment of qualified wildland fire suppression contractors and equipment owners who have valid incident qualifications for the type of contracted work…
(1) Subject to availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, the department must create a prescribed burn manager certification program for those who practice prescribed burning in the state. The certification program must include training on all relevant aspects of prescribed fire in Washington inclu…
(1) The department, in consultation with the energy resilience and emergency management office of the department of commerce, shall contract with an independent consultant with experience in developing electric utility wildfire mitigation plans to develop an electric utility wildfire mitigation plan format and a list o…