Law Enforcement & Civil Cost Recovery

CAL FIRE Law Enforcement Program

The Law Enforcement program is an integral part of the CAL FIRE mission, protecting the State’s natural resources and people of the state of California for over 100 years. In 1887, employees of the Board of Forestry, including their assistants, were endowed with the power of a Peace Officer. During that year, the first Chief of Law Enforcement was appointed solely for the purpose of enforcing forest and fire laws within the State. The responsibility for enforcement of forest and fire laws and fire control passed to the Division of Forestry with the creation of the Department of Natural Resources in 1927.

CAL FIRE is statutorily responsible to enforce forest and fire laws and Forest Practice Regulations within all areas of the state, where they apply pursuant to Public Resources Code (PRC), Section 714.

The Department has been granted the authority to enforce the forest and fire laws, pursuant to PRC 4119, and the Director has been granted the authority to appoint Peace Officers (PRC 4156).

CAL FIRE Peace Officers are trained and certified in accordance with the California commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) and attend a rigorous training program. Their authority is provided by Penal Code 830.2(g) and authorizes statewide jurisdiction.

Law Enforcement Services

Determine wildland fire causes, interview witnesses, conduct extended investigations, issue citations, and arrest suspects to help reduce wildland fires throughout California.
Provide prompt and positive enforcement of the Forest Practice Act to conserve and maintain the productivity of timberlands, while preventing or mitigation damage to associated resources.
Provide fire and bomb investigation services to state-owned facilities, dispose of explosives, and aid local government fire and law agencies.
Pursue civil cost recovery cases where a person is allegedly responsible for the cause of a fire either through willfulness, negligence, or violation of law.
Conduct investigations and inspections enforcing PRC violations, but also Health and Safety Code, Welfare and Institutions Code, Government Code, Vehicle Code, Business and Professions Code, and Penal Code violations.
Work in partnership with the community and with our cooperators to provide the highest level of safety, service, and security while protecting the natural resources of the State of California.

Law Enforcement

Throughout CAL FIRE’s history, our officers have worked in partnership with the community along with our cooperators to provide the highest level of safety, service, and security while protecting the natural resources of the state of California, through enforcement of forest and fire laws. Our officers hold persons accountable who ignite fires through violations of law and /or negligence as well as those who violate the Forest Practice Act.

CAL FIRE Peace Officers conduct patrol, investigate fires, investigate reports of forest and fire law violations, make arrests, issue citations, conduct surveillance operations, collect and preserve evidence, and testify in court. Peace officers have Statewide jurisdiction and although their primary function is to enforce forest and fire laws, they may be called upon to enforce any of California’s law.

Civil Cost Recovery

California Health and Safety Code Section 13009 authorizes CAL FIRE to recover suppression and related administrative costs from anyone who starts a fire negligently or in violation of law. This benefits the State and its taxpayers by appropriately allocating suppression costs to the individuals who caused the fires. This authorization also provides a vital fire prevention tool and is one of the ways the Department seeks to reduce human caused fires within the State Responsibility Area (SRA). Additionally, for fires where the State has received federal assistance from the Fire Management Assistance Grants Program (FMAG), contractual and legal obligations require the Department to investigate and seek fire suppression cost recovery (44 CFR Chapter 1, Section 204.62(a)).

Law Enforcement Intelligence

The Law Enforcement/Fire Intelligence Unit provides the department with direct involvement and coordination with the Information Sharing Environment and Intelligence Community. The Law Enforcement/Fire Intelligence Unit provides for enhanced information sharing and threat analysis capabilities, while focusing on personnel safety and protection of department assets. This capability enhances the department’s ability to fulfill its mission of protecting the people and natural resources of the state.

Information sharing is achieved through the department’s involvement with the State Threat Assessment System (STAS) which includes the State Threat Assessment Center (STAC), four Regional Threat Assessment Centers (RTACs), and one Major Area Intelligence Center. This includes participation in Terrorism Liaison Officer (TLO) programs.

Investigations

Preventing fires in California requires knowing how they start. CAL FIRE Investigators respond to fires statewide, move quickly to protect the area of origin, and utilize multiple resources and consultants to help determine the cause of in incidents. Their investigation contributes to fire data collected and reported by the Department and assists our legal teams in deciding the proper course of action to help prevent future incidents from determined causes. One resource within Investigations is our K9-Unit, which provides our Investigators the ability to reliably and quickly determine if accelerants or explosives were present. The Specialized Equipment Unit is another tool for CAL FIRE Investigators, providing expert guidance and specific equipment to assist with more complex investigations.

Policies

Headquarters Staff

Arson Stats

Commend or Complaint

History Link