The Price of Negligence: What Happens If You Don't Pay Fire Suppression Fees

Understanding Liability for Fire Suppression Costs

Hello, I’m Oklahoma City attorney Dillan Savage with Wirth Law Office, and I practice primarily in the Oklahoma City, Oklahoma area. Today we are going to be talking about liability for the suppression of fires and the costs surrounding the suppression of those fires.

In the event that you willfully, carelessly, or negligently cause a fire to spread to the point that some type of agency—some form of government or group of individuals—has to get involved in order to suppress that fire, you can and will be found liable for the costs associated with that suppression.

This liability applies whether or not you are found criminally liable. Even if you’re not charged criminally, you can still be held civilly liable for the damages. And if you are facing criminal charges, you are still responsible for the costs related to the suppression of the fire.

What Happens If You Are Found Liable?

If you are found liable, you will receive a demand letter from the agencies involved in the fire suppression. If you do not pay the suppression costs within 90 days, the district attorney’s office can take legal action against you to recover those costs.

So again, it’s just a good idea to avoid carelessly starting fires or allowing a fire to get out of hand to the point that it requires agency response. Of course, willfully starting a fire can lead to far more serious consequences, including significant criminal liability.

If you found this video to be helpful or you believe it can help someone else, please go to TheOklahomaCityAttorney.com. My name is Dillan Savage, and I’m the Oklahoma City criminal defense attorney with Wirth Law Office. Thank you for watching.