425 ILCS 25/ Fire Investigation Act.

(425 ILCS 25/0.01) (from Ch. 127 1/2, par. 5.9)

Sec. 0.01. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Fire Investigation Act.

(Source: P.A. 86-1324.)

(425 ILCS 25/3)

Sec. 3. Definitions. In this Act:

"Chief of the fire department" means the senior fire officer of a municipal fire department, volunteer fire department, or fire protection district.

"Local authority having jurisdiction" means a unit of local government or fire protection district located within the State.

"Local fire prevention and life safety standards" means the fire prevention and life safety standards adopted by a local authority having jurisdiction.

"Local officers" means the officers responsible for fire and building code enforcement within their unit of local government or fire protection district.

"Notice" means a notice of violation issued to an owner, occupant, or other person interested in a premises that identifies violations of the fire prevention and life safety rules adopted by the Office.

"Office" means the Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal and its officers, investigators, inspectors, and administrative employees.

"Order" means an administrative order issued to an owner, occupant, or other person interested in a premises that directs immediate compliance with the fire prevention and life safety rules adopted by the Office.

"Owner, occupant, or other person interested in the premises" means the owner, occupant, or other person with a legal interest in any building, structure, or the real property upon which the building or structure is situated.

"Premises" means any building or structure or the real property upon which the building or structure is situated.

"State Fire Marshal" means the Illinois State Fire Marshal or his or her designee.

(Source: P.A. 101-82, eff. 1-1-20.)

(425 ILCS 25/6) (from Ch. 127 1/2, par. 6)

Sec. 6. Investigation and record of fires; Office of the State Fire Marshal.

(a) The chief of the fire department shall investigate the cause, origin and circumstances of every fire occurring in a municipality or fire protection district, or in any area or on any property which is furnished fire protection by the fire department of such municipality or fire protection district, by which property has been destroyed or damaged, and shall especially make investigation as to whether such fire was the result of carelessness or design. Such investigation shall be begun within two days, not including Sunday, of the occurrence of such fire, and the Office shall have the right to supervise and direct such investigation whenever it deems it expedient or necessary. The officer making investigation of fires occurring in cities, villages, towns, fire protection districts or townships shall forthwith notify the Office and shall by the 15th of the month following the occurrence of the fire, furnish to the Office a statement of all facts relating to the cause and origin of the fire, and such other information as may be called for in a format approved or on forms provided by the Office.

(b) In every case in which a fire is determined to be a contributing factor in a death, the coroner of the county where the death occurred shall report the death to the Office as provided in Section 3-3013 of the Counties Code.

(c) The Office shall keep a record of all fires occurring in the State, together with all facts, statistics and circumstances, including the origin of the fires, which may be determined by the investigations provided by this act; such record shall at all times be open to the public inspection, and such portions of it as the State Director of Insurance may deem necessary shall be transcribed and forwarded to him within fifteen days from the first of January of each year.

(d) In addition to the reporting of fires, the chief of the fire department shall furnish to the Office such other information as the State Fire Marshal deems of importance to the fire services.

(Source: P.A. 101-82, eff. 1-1-20.)

(425 ILCS 25/6.1)

Sec. 6.1. Fire and hazardous material incident reporting rules. The State Fire Marshal may adopt necessary rules for the administration of the reporting of fires, hazardous material incidents, and other incidents or events that the State Fire Marshal deems of importance to the fire services. The reporting of such information shall be based upon the nationally recognized standards of the United States Fire Administration's National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS).

(Source: P.A. 101-82, eff. 1-1-20.)

(425 ILCS 25/7) (from Ch. 127 1/2, par. 7)

Sec. 7. Arson investigations; arrests; prosecution. The Office shall, when in its opinion further investigation is necessary, take or cause to be taken the testimony on oath of all persons supposed to be cognizant of any facts or to have means of knowledge in relation to the matter as to which an examination is herein required to be made, and shall cause the same to be reduced to writing; and if it shall be of the opinion that there is evidence sufficient to charge any person with the crime of arson, or with the attempt to commit the crime of arson, or of conspiracy to defraud, or criminal conduct in connection with such fire, it shall cause such person to be arrested and charged with such offense or either of them, and shall furnish to the proper prosecuting attorney all such evidence, together with the names of witnesses and all of the information obtained by it, including a copy of all pertinent and material testimony taken in the case.

(Source: P.A. 101-82, eff. 1-1-20.)

(425 ILCS 25/8) (from Ch. 127 1/2, par. 8)

Sec. 8. Summons, oaths, and affirmations. The Office shall have power in any county in the State of Illinois to summon and compel the attendance of witnesses before it to testify in relation to any matter which is by the provision of this Act a subject of inquiry and investigation, and may require the production of any book, paper or other document it deems pertinent thereto, and it may require the prompt disclosure of the beneficiaries of any trust by the trustee, the disclosure by any named beneficiary of a trust of all persons who have any direct or indirect interest in the trust or who derive any direct or indirect benefit therefrom, the disclosure of a principal by his nominee, and the disclosure by a corporation of each person who holds 5% or more of the shares of stock of the corporation. The Office is hereby authorized and empowered to administer oaths and affirmations to any persons appearing as witnesses before it, and false swearing in any manner or proceeding aforesaid is perjury and shall be punished as such. Any witness who refuses to be sworn, or who refuses to testify, or disclose any information sought by the Office to which it is entitled, or who disobeys any lawful order of the Office, or who fails or refuses to produce any book, paper or other document touching any matter under examination, or who is guilty of any contemptuous conduct after being summoned to appear before the Office to give testimony in relation to any matter or subject under investigation as aforesaid, is guilty of a Class A misdemeanor and it shall be the duty of the State Fire Marshal to make complaint against the person or persons so refusing to comply with the summons or order of the State Fire Marshal, before the circuit court in the county in which the investigation is being had, and upon the filing of such complaint, such cause shall proceed in the same manner as other criminal cases.

(Source: P.A. 101-82, eff. 1-1-20.)

(425 ILCS 25/8a)

Sec. 8a. Right of entry; examination of witnesses. The Office shall have the authority at all times of day or night in the performance of the duties imposed by the provisions of this Act, to enter upon and examine any building or premises where any fire has occurred and other buildings and premises adjoining or near the same. All investigations held by or under the direction of the Office may, in its discretion, be private, and persons other than those required to be present by the provisions of this Act, may be excluded from the place where such investigation is held, and witnesses may be kept separate and apart from each other and not allowed to communicate with each other until they have been examined.

(Source: P.A. 101-82, eff. 1-1-20.)

(425 ILCS 25/9) (from Ch. 127 1/2, par. 9)

Sec. 9. Inspections, duties, rules, and enforcement. No person, being the owner, occupant, or other person interested in the premises which is so occupied or so situated as to endanger persons or property, shall permit such building or structure by reason of faulty construction, age, lack of proper repair, or any other cause to become especially liable to fire, or to become liable to cause injury or damage by collapsing or otherwise. No person, being the owner, occupant, or other person interested in the premises, shall keep or maintain or allow to be kept or maintained on such premises, combustible or explosive material or flammable conditions, which endanger the safety of said buildings or premises.

The Office shall adopt and promulgate such reasonable fire prevention and life safety rules as may be necessary to protect the public from the dangers specified in the preceding paragraph. Such rules shall require the installation, inspection or maintenance of necessary fire extinguishers, fire suppression systems, chemical fire suppression systems and fire alarm and protection devices. A copy of any rule adopted by the Office under this Act that is certified by the State Fire Marshal shall be received in evidence in all courts of this State with the same effect as the original.

Subject to Section 9g, all local officers charged with the duty of investigating fires or conducting fire prevention and life safety inspections shall enforce such rules, under the direction of the Office, except in those localities which have adopted fire prevention and life safety standards that have been determined by the Office to be equal to or higher than such rules adopted by the Office.

Subject to Section 9g, the Office, and the officers of cities, villages, towns, townships, municipalities, and fire protection districts charged with the duty of investigating fires or conducting fire prevention and life safety inspections under this Act, shall, under the direction of the Office, inspect and examine at reasonable hours, any premises, and the buildings and other structures thereon, and if, such dangerous condition or fire hazard is found to exist contrary to the rules herein referred to, or if a dangerous condition or fire hazard is found to exist as specified in the first paragraph of this Section, and the rules herein referred to are not applicable to such dangerous condition or fire hazard, shall identify the dangerous condition, and shall so notify the owner, occupant, or other person interested in the premises. Service of the notice upon the owner, occupant, or other person interested in the premises shall be in person, by electric transmission, or by registered or certified mail. If no corrective action is taken by the owner, occupant, or other person interested in the premises to remove or remedy the dangerous condition or fire hazard within a reasonable time, as determined by the Office or the local authority having jurisdiction, an order shall be served upon the owner, occupant, or other person interested in the premises directing that the dangerous condition be removed or remedied immediately. Service of the order upon the owner, occupant, or other person interested in the premises shall be in person, by electronic transmission, or by registered or certified mail.

The amendatory Act of 1975 is not a limit on any home rule unit.

(Source: P.A. 101-82, eff. 1-1-20.)

(425 ILCS 25/9a) (from Ch. 127 1/2, par. 10)

Sec. 9a. Appeals and hearings. The owner, occupant, or other person interested in such premises, within 10 days after receiving an order from the Office, may appeal the order in writing to the Office. The Office shall thereupon conduct a hearing pursuant to the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act, as amended, and the administrative hearing rules adopted by the Office, and the State Fire Marshal shall either sustain, modify or revoke the order. If the order is sustained or modified, or if no appeal is made to the Office, it shall be the duty of the owner, occupant, or other person interested in the premises to immediately comply with such order. The process for appeals of orders served upon an owner, occupant, or other person interested in the premises by a local authority having jurisdiction shall be according to local ordinance.

(Source: P.A. 101-82, eff. 1-1-20.)

(425 ILCS 25/9b) (from Ch. 127 1/2, par. 11)

Sec. 9b. Administrative review. When an order to remove or remedy a dangerous condition or fire hazard has been modified or sustained by the State Fire Marshal, the owner, occupant, or other person interested in the premises against whom the order has been entered may seek review in the circuit court of the county in which the property affected by the order is located, pursuant to the Administrative Review Law, as amended.

(Source: P.A. 101-82, eff. 1-1-20.)

(425 ILCS 25/9e) (from Ch. 127 1/2, par. 14)

Sec. 9e. Penalties; concurrent jurisdiction. A willful failure, neglect, or refusal to comply (1) with the order of the Office or other officers after it has become final by reason of failure to prosecute an appeal as provided by this Act, or (2) with the judgment of the circuit court sustaining or modifying the order of the Office is a petty offense, and in the event of a continuance of such willful failure, neglect, or refusal to comply with such order, each day's continuance is a separate offense.

The provisions of Sections 9, 9a, 9b, and 9e shall not be construed to affect or repeal any ordinances of any local authority having jurisdiction relating to building inspection, fire limits, fire prevention, or safety standards, but the jurisdiction of the Office of the State Fire Marshal shall, in such local authorities having jurisdiction, be concurrent with that of the local authorities having jurisdiction.

(Source: P.A. 101-82, eff. 1-1-20.)

(425 ILCS 25/9f)

Sec. 9f. Duties owed to fire fighters. The owner or occupier of the premises and his or her agents owe fire fighters who are on the premises in the performance of their official duties conducting fire investigations or inspections or responding to fire alarms or actual fires on the premises a duty of reasonable care in the maintenance of the premises according to applicable fire safety codes, regulations, ordinances, and generally applicable safety standards, including any decisions by the Illinois courts. The owner or occupier of the premises and his or her agents are not relieved of the duty of reasonable care if the fire fighter is injured due to the lack of maintenance of the premises in the course of responding to a fire, false alarm, or his or her inspection or investigation of the premises.

This Section applies to all causes of action that have accrued, will accrue, or are currently pending before a court of competent jurisdiction, including courts of review.

(Source: P.A. 101-82, eff. 1-1-20.)

(425 ILCS 25/9g)

Sec. 9g. Applicability within home rule units. The provisions of Sections 9, 9a, 9b, and 9e of this Act do not apply within the geographical boundaries of home rule units that have adopted fire prevention and life safety standards by local ordinance, except with respect to State-owned buildings or State licensed facilities. Nothing in this Act prohibits any home rule unit from voluntarily adopting, in their entirety, the fire prevention and life safety rules adopted by the Office and enforcing those rules concurrently with the Office. Nothing in this Act prohibits the Office from inspecting State-owned buildings or State licensed facilities that are located within the geographical boundaries of home rule units.

(Source: P.A. 101-82, eff. 1-1-20.)

(425 ILCS 25/10) (from Ch. 127 1/2, par. 15)

Sec. 10. (Repealed).

(Source: P.A. 77-2603. Repealed by P.A. 101-82, eff. 1-1-20.)

(425 ILCS 25/12) (from Ch. 127 1/2, par. 16)

Sec. 12. Insurance assessment. Every fire insurance company, whether upon the stock or mutual plan, and every other personal or business entity doing any form of fire insurance business in the State of Illinois, shall pay to the Department of Insurance in the month of March, such amount as may be assessed by the Department of Insurance, which may not exceed 1% of the gross fire, sprinkler leakage, riot, civil commotion, explosion and motor vehicle fire risk premium receipts of such company or other entity from such business done in the State of Illinois during the preceding year, and shall make an annual report or statement under oath to the Department specifying the amount of such premiums received during the preceding year. The Department of Insurance shall pay the money so received into the Fire Prevention Fund, to be used as specified in Section 13.1 of this Act.

(Source: P.A. 101-82, eff. 1-1-20.)

(425 ILCS 25/13) (from Ch. 127 1/2, par. 17)

Sec. 13. Insurance assessment penalties. Every company, firm, co-partnership, association or aggregation of individuals, or body of persons insuring each other, or their agents, representatives, or attorneys in fact, who shall refuse or neglect to comply with the requirements of Section 12 of this Act, is liable, in addition to the amount due, for such penalty and interest charges as are provided for under Section 412 of the "Illinois Insurance Code". The Director through the Attorney General, may institute an action in the name of the People of the State of Illinois, in any court of competent jurisdiction for the recovery of the amount of such taxes and penalties due, and prosecute the same to final judgment, and take such steps as are necessary to collect the same. If such violation is by a company, association, co-partnership or aggregation of individuals licensed to do business in the State of Illinois, such license may be revoked by the Department of Insurance.

(Source: P.A. 101-82, eff. 1-1-20.)

(425 ILCS 25/13.1) (from Ch. 127 1/2, par. 17.1)

Sec. 13.1. Fire Prevention Fund.

(a) There shall be a special fund in the State Treasury known as the Fire Prevention Fund.

(b) The following moneys shall be deposited into the Fund:

(1) Moneys received by the Department of Insurance under Section 12 of this Act.

(2) All fees and reimbursements received by the Office.

(3) All receipts from boiler and pressure vessel certification, as provided in Section 13 of the Boiler and Pressure Vessel Safety Act.

(4) Such other moneys as may be provided by law.

(c) The moneys in the Fire Prevention Fund shall be used, subject to appropriation, for the following purposes:

(1) Of the moneys deposited into the fund under Section 12 of this Act, 12.5% shall be available for the maintenance of the Illinois Fire Service Institute and the expenses, facilities, and structures incident thereto, and for making transfers into the General Obligation Bond Retirement and Interest Fund for debt service requirements on bonds issued by the State of Illinois after January 1, 1986 for the purpose of constructing a training facility for use by the Institute. An additional 2.5% of the moneys deposited into the Fire Prevention Fund shall be available to the Illinois Fire Service Institute for support of the Cornerstone Training Program.

(2) Of the moneys deposited into the Fund under Section 12 of this Act, 10% shall be available for the maintenance of the Chicago Fire Department Training Program and the expenses, facilities, and structures incident thereto, in addition to any moneys payable from the Fund to the City of Chicago pursuant to the Illinois Fire Protection Training Act.

(3) For making payments to local governmental agencies and individuals pursuant to Section 10 of the Illinois Fire Protection Training Act.

(4) For the maintenance and operation of the Office of the State Fire Marshal, and the expenses incident thereto.

(4.5) For the maintenance, operation, and capital expenses of the Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS).

(4.6) For grants awarded under the Small Fire-fighting and Ambulance Service Equipment Grant Program established by Section 2.7 of the State Fire Marshal Act.

(4.7) For grants awarded under the Fire Station Rehabilitation and Construction Grant Program established by Section 2.8 of the State Fire Marshal Act.

(5) For any other purpose authorized by law.

(c-5) Beginning on July 1, 2008, each month, or as soon as practical thereafter, an amount equal to $1.50 from each fine received shall be transferred from the Fire Prevention Fund to the Fire Truck Revolving Loan Fund, and an amount equal to $4 from each fine received shall be transferred from the Fire Prevention Fund to the Ambulance Revolving Loan Fund. These moneys shall be transferred from the moneys deposited into the Fire Prevention Fund pursuant to Public Act 95-154, together with not more than 25% of any unspent appropriations from the prior fiscal year. These moneys may be allocated to the Fire Truck Revolving Loan Fund and Ambulance Revolving Loan Fund at the discretion of the Office for the purpose of implementation of this Act.

(d) Any portion of the Fire Prevention Fund remaining unexpended at the end of any fiscal year which is not needed for the maintenance and expenses of the Office or the maintenance and expenses of the Illinois Fire Service Institute shall remain in the Fire Prevention Fund for the exclusive and restricted uses provided in subsections (c) and (c-5) of this Section.

(e) The Office shall keep on file an itemized statement of all expenses incurred which are payable from the Fund, other than expenses incurred by the Illinois Fire Service Institute, and shall approve all vouchers issued therefor before they are submitted to the State Comptroller for payment. Such vouchers shall be allowed and paid in the same manner as other claims against the State.

(Source: P.A. 102-558, eff. 8-20-21; 103-8, eff. 6-7-23; 103-616, eff. 7-1-24.)

(425 ILCS 25/13.2)

Sec. 13.2. Youth Firesetter Interventionist Coordinator; Certified Youth Firesetter Interventionists.

(a) The Office of the State Fire Marshal shall create the position of Youth Firesetter Interventionist Coordinator within the Division of Arson. The Youth Firesetter Interventionist Coordinator must be a Certified Youth Firesetter Interventionist.

The Office shall use National Fire Protection Association standards related to the Youth Firesetter Intervention Program Manager in the development of the job responsibilities for the Youth Firesetter Interventionist Coordinator.

The Youth Firesetter Interventionist Coordinator shall have the following responsibilities:

(1) The Youth Firesetter Interventionist Coordinator shall ensure that a Certified Youth Firesetter Interventionist employed within the Office, or a local Certified Youth Firesetter Interventionist, physically sees or connects with a youth whose case was referred to the Office within 72 hours of a referral. If no other Certified Youth Firesetter Interventionist is available, then the Youth Firesetter Interventionist Coordinator must take the case and ensure that he or she physically sees or connects with the youth within 72 hours. The 72 hours includes any weekend days or national or State holidays.

(2) The Youth Firesetter Interventionist Coordinator shall assist with Freedom of Information Act requests.

(3) The Office shall create a report on Youth Firesetter Interventions, and shall submit such report to the General Assembly. The report shall be semiannual for the first 2 years, and the first report shall be submitted to the General Assembly by December 31, 2023. After the first 3 semiannual reports, the report shall be submitted annually. The semiannual reports shall be submitted by: December 31, 2023, June 30, 2024, and December 31, 2024.

(b) A local Certified Youth Firesetter Interventionist rostered with a fire department or fire protection district may receive a $250 stipend and mileage reimbursement for any necessary travel for a case only if the local Certified Youth Firesetter Interventionist is not otherwise compensated by another employer or entity for that case.

(Source: P.A. 103-307, eff. 7-28-23.)