OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS
Bonorable Varvln Hall
Fire Insuranoo Commleaionsr
Board 0r Inruranoe CommIs~loner8
Austin, Texas
Dear Sir:
This wIl1 aoknowl
May 9, 1940, in nhloh you 6
l&e upon #OVWl que0t10nr t
esrential to here est o
understanding of the fa
daltlonr are
aa no authoritf
prevent hasardous
uoh Inapeotions Is soli
been oaued upon, iB
sx-oSfIoIo Statr Fire
as State Fire Earshal, hate author-
the eleotrloal wiring In houlrrs under
f your anmer III in the afflrmetirr, do
I, as State Fire ?:arshal, have the authority to
condamn suoh wiring If same Is found unrafe and
oaue the removal, or oorreotlon, thereof?
"(5) Can I prohibit the power oompanlas from
furnishing eleotriolty to such unsafe rirlng?
. -
734
Honorable i’arvln IIall, Pag4 g
“(4) If your an8w.r to tha foregoing qu44tionr
are In the afflrmatlro, my I appoint a dsputy
fully quallfl4U, to eot in my plaoe and stead In
making those InepootIon8t
“(8) If your amwsr to proporltlon numbor 4
18 in the afflrnatlvo, do f have tha authority to
allow the deputy reasonable aolapenaatlon for tsar-
Vi008 l-OndOred in makin6 ths inirpOOtiOl28’)
“(6) Do I ha~4 the authority to aase84 and
001140t, from thr prop4rtl owner or aontnotor, a
reasonable fee for making ruoh Inapootlonr?
“(I) If I do hare the authority to a84488 and
oolleat suoh fe4, will It bs legal to allow the
deputy to oollsot and retain for hi8 mn ~44 4uoh
foes as oompsnsatlon for his aorvIoo8?R
ArtiOl4 4897 of the R41ised CIvIl~Statute4 of Toxa4,
1925, tloalr with the authority and duty of th4 Stat4 Flro Ear-
8hAl. It 181
RThs Stat4 Fir4 Farehal I4 heraby authorlaed
to snter at any fine any building8 or premIm8
where fire oaourred or Is In pro&rem, or any
plaoo oontIguou8 thereto, for the purpoar of la-
reetigat Ing the oau84, origin ana olr4um8tau448
or such fire. The Stat4 Flro Marshal, upon oom-
plaint of any poraon, shall, at all rsaaouable
hours; for ths purporo of erazalnatlon, lntor Into
and upon all building8 and prem18eo within thlr
State, and It #hall br hi4 duty to lnto r upon u&d
make.or oau8o to bs ontored upon and -do, at q
tins, a thorough oramlnatlon of meroantlle, menu-
faoturing and pub110 buildinga, and all plaors of
pub110 amuasmnt or whers pub110 gathering8 am
hold, together wi th the preEI84s belonging thereto.
Khener4r ho shall find .anp building or other strua-
turs which for want of repair or by reason, of age
or dllapidatsd condition, or whloh for any oaueo
is liable to fire, an6 whloh Is 80 situate& a8 to
sndangor other building4 or property, or ir 40
oooupiod that fir4 would endanger person4 or pro-
perty thoreln, and whenever he shall Slnd.an Im- .
proper or dangerous arrangcmmnt of atov48, ranger,
furnaoe8 or other heating appllano48 of any kind
whateoavsr, inoludlng ohlmnepr, fluea and pipa
with yhloh the 8am may be ‘oonnootod, or dan@roue
- . 735
Honorable ianin Hall, Page 3
arrangement Or lighting lyBta8 Or dOtio48, or
daqgorow storag4 of 4xp~o8iVO8, oompouad8, potro-
loum, garolino, k8rOBOn4, dangerous ohemioalr,
vogotable produoti, ashoe, ocrabu#tible, lnfle8!mable
and rerure matorialr, or other rondltlonr which aax
be dangerour In ohanotrr, or liable to cau8e or
promoto rim, or oreate conditions dangerour to firemen
or oocupants, ho shall ardor the 8am4 to be nmwed
or remedied, and suoh ordrr shell be forthwith ooa-
plied with by the oooupant or ownrr of auoh buIldln(
or premirer, and ths Stat4 Flro Kar8hal is horobr
luthorlrrd, whrn necerrary, to apply to a aourt o?
oompetrnt jurirdiotion for the nooo88ary writs or
orairs to enforoe thr 9rorIsion8 0s fhI8 art1010
and in ruoh oa#e ho shall not be roquIr4d to give
bond."
Artlole 4882a, of the RevIre Civil Statutea,& Toxar,
as amendedby Aat8 OS 1987, 40th Loglrlatun,, pago 3ti, Chapter
eZ4, para, 8, prorider In part:
" . . ..The autler horetoforr plaoed upon )nd the
powers and privileges hsrrtofore exorolsod by the
Ststr ltlro Farehal ars now to bs plaosd upon and
lxrroleed and enjoyed by the Flro Incurrmoe &IUQ~~-
#loner. w
Roforrlng again to Artlole 4S97, rupra, fra whloh,
a8 4x 0rri0i0 firs marshal, you aaquln your power of inv48tQp
tlon, It appsars that your right8 and duties may be lla88IfIo4
Into three BUbdI+IBiOn# as r0iitm:
1. You are authorized "to ontor at anl tImo any build-
ing or premiers whors fire ooourr4a or 18 In progrorr, or uy
plaoe-oontIguou# thereto, for the purpose of lnrertlgatlng the
oauso, origin and oIraum8tano48 of 8uoh fire."
a. You shall *upon oomvlalnt 0s eny Demon . . . . at
all r4asonablo hour8 for the DUrDOIe of 4xamlnatIon. enter Into
and upon all buildings and pr~mlisr within thi8 Staio...."
(Vndereoorlng oura)
5. It IS your duty to ontsr into and upon all Wmemui-
tile manufaoturlng and pub110 buildIng8, and all plaool Of
publio aE!lU84S4Ut, or where pub110 gatherings are hold, together
with the pr4mIaee belonging thereto a for the purpo#s of 4xamlna-
tlon to detennlno ths oondltionr with rerpeot to firs hasardr.
Sk.36-
Honorable Marvin Rail, Page 4
Sumuksrlzlng the84
arbitrary 8UbdiVi8iO~8, it
8ppearr that you nay into and Upon th4 proporti48
outor
derorIbe4 In Seotlonr 1 and 3 theroof at will for luah In-
lpeOtiOB8 as you doom neoesaar~ and prOp4rj that a8 a Beo488-
ary prer8ptirIte to your right to enter Into and upon tho
proportirr mentIonod In 8ubdIileIon 8 herrof you must h#ve
a oomplalnt mad4 to you by 80344 94r8on as to th6 probable
no84 for an In#p4otIon.
Wobellero that ths prlvato rerldenoea involved
In the lnotant inquiry ?a11 within this seoond 8ubdIvI#Ioa.
QUlE3TIOl'J
190. I
Subjeot to th8 limitation hsrelnrbors dlaouaae4 we
ln#w8r your rlrrt questlon In the lfflrmativo.
QvJwrI0N NO. 11
Artlole 4891, supra, furthor provider that whenever
YOU W,...ahall find . . ..dangsrou# arrang4lnOnt or liehthg ryr-
tan8 or 44rloea.... Shall Order the 8fm4 r4Eiov~ or r48mdied
. . . . * The word *or* undersoored In the quotation hereinabove
lppo8ra to bo an error Of tho printOr aa the word *‘of” 18 U88d
In the original aot. Your BoOOn qurstion 18 an8wer4d in the
lfflrmatlve.
QVESTIONNO. III
Artlole 4097, eupra, rurther provIae8 that after you
bp’l8 found
a dangerour oonditlon and h4v4 ordsnd the #ame swm01-
ed or romsdiod "BUOh order ahall bo forthwith 00~11pliOd with bt
the oooupant or ownor of suoh building or p~mlmea, an&tho
Btato Fir4 Harabal IS hor4by authorlsed, when n40888ary. to
apply to a oourt or oompotont jurls4lotIon for the nooerawy
writ8 or order8 to enforoe the provi8ion# Of this sot....*
Without 9a88ix Upon the 8944ifiO qUO#tiOn Of whethor Or IlOt
th4 oompany undsrtaklng to furnlah powor #haul& be mado 4 partf
to th8 rult, it may be OffeOtIT8ly prohibIt8d SrCUBfurniBhIli&
luOh power by an Injunotlon dlrooted at the owner of th4 pn-
nIro# prohibiting him from pexmlttlng a oonnsotlon bsIng made
until the WLBaf4 oondition has boon mm4aied.
QvEsTIoNs NOS. IV AND v
Artlolo 4898 of the Revised Cl~ll Statute8 prwlder
In part8
"If ror any reason the State Fire Yarahal I#
737
Honorable Marvin Hall, Pago S
!
;
unable to mak8 ant nqulnd lnreatlgstlon in per,
80x1, ho aer dmrlgnate thm fin aer8hal of rwh
oit]r or town or 80~8 other oultable person to aot
ior hlmi and 8uOh peroon rhell have the 8am0 author-
ity l8 is hrreln glrrn the Stat8 Fire Marrhal with
rsrer8non to.th8 pertlouler matt8r to be int88tl-
@ied by him and rhell rooelre ruoh 0~1 lnntlon
for hi8 8on7jow am tho Btnto f~um~noo Ecaml88lon
meylllcm...."
Your fourth quo8tlon Is emwend in thr lr r lr ma tlr e,
Tour fifth qw8tlon 18 llk8rise enmnd Lo the
lrrlmmtlro rubjeot or eotw8e to lll llmltetlon8 oontelnra
in tha p6rdnent rtatut88 end the gOzmre1 ap roprletlon bu.
WOhave mead0 no lnve8tlgc4tlon or en? do not
GrnSTIORsNos. VI, Am Yxx
Artlolo 48(l'e, supra, authorize8 you to lm8e88 and
oolleot re68 end fix en808 rr0m one roqusstlng en lnrO*tlgation
or l r,in but l ill lp gent rreroh of the 8tatutor retoalm a tote1
laok or euthorlty v88tad in you to l 88688 en6 oolleot r008 end
lxpon888 tor th6 kind and ohareotor of lnv88tlgatlon whloh vm
era her8 oonrldrrlng. Haarlng no ruoh authority', it 1s lp p a r -
Ont that you oannot author180 mm8 lgent b do that rhloh rou
oonnot do. Tour quertlonr No8. 6 and 7 ere both enowered In
thr nO6atlro.
Your8 very truly