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 authorthe 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 tsarVi008 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 Ear8hAl. 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 lareetigat Ing the oau84, origin ana olr4um8tau448 

or such fire. The Stat4 Flro Marshal, upon oomplaint of any poraon, shall, at all rsaaouable 

hours; for ths purporo of erazalnatlon, l ntor Into 

and upon all building8 and prem18eo within thlr 

State, and It #hall br hi4 duty to l ntor upon u&d 

make.or oau8o to bs ontored upon and -do, at q 

tins, a thorough oramlnatlon of meroantlle, menufaoturing and pub110 buildinga, and all plaors of 

pub110 amuasmnt 

i 

or whers pub110 gathering8 am 

hold, together w th the preEI84s belonging thereto. 

Khener4r ho shall find .anp building or other struaturs 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 property 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 l yBta8 Or dOtio48, or 

daqgorow storag4 of 4xp~o8iVO8, oompouad8, potroloum, 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 ooaplied with by the oooupant or ownrr of auoh buIldln( 

or premirer, and ths Stat4 Flro Kar8hal is horobr 

l uthorlrrd, 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 amended by 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 

l xrroleed 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 l la88IfIo4 

Into three BUbdI+IBiOn# as r0iitm: 

1. You are authorized "to ontor at anl tImo any building 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 Wmemuitile 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 4xamlnatlon 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 outor into and Upon th4 proporti48 

derorIbe4 In Seotlonr 1 and 3 theroof at will for l uah Inl peOtiOB8 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. 

Wo bellero 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 

l n#w8r your rlrrt questlon In the l fflrmativo. 

QvJwrI0N NO. 11 

Artlole 4891, supra, furthor provider that whenever 

YOU W,...ahall find 

tan8 or 44rloea.... 

. . ..dangsrou# arrang4lnOnt or liehthg ryrShall Order the 8fm4 r4Eiov~ or r48mdied 

. . . . * The word *or* undersoored In the quotation hereinabove 

l ppo8ra to bo an error Of tho printOr aa the word *‘of” 18 U88d 

In the original aot. Your BoOOn qurstion 18 an8wer4d in the 

l fflrmatlve. 

QVESTION NO. 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 SrCUB furniBhIli& 

l uOh power by an Injunotlon dlrooted at the owner of th4 pnnIro# 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 authority l 8 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 l nntlon 

for hi8 8on7jow am tho Btnto f~um~noo E caml88lon 

mey l llcm...." 

Your fourth quo8tlon Is emwend in thr l r r lr ma tlr e, 

Tour fifth qw8tlon 18 llk8rise enmnd Lo the 

l rrlmmtlro rubjeot or eotw8e to l ll llmltetlon8 oontelnra 

in tha p6rdnent rtatut88 end the gOzmre1 ap roprletlon bu. 

WO have mead0 no lnve8tlgc4tlon or en? do not 

GrnSTIORs Nos. VI, Am Yxx 

Artlolo 48(l'e, supra, authorize8 you to l m8e88 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 

l xpon888 tor th6 kind and ohareotor of lnv88tlgatlon whloh vm 

era her8 oonrldrrlng. Haarlng no ruoh authority', it 1s l p p a r - 

Ont that you oannot author180 mm8 l gent b do that rhloh rou 

oonnot do. Tour quertlonr No8. 6 and 7 ere both enowered In 

thr nO6atlro. 

Your8 very truly