10. Power of members of the Force on occasion of fire.
- On the occasion of fire in any area in which this Act is in force, any member of the Force who is in-charge of fire fighting operations on the spot may-(a)remove, detain or order any other member of the Force to remove or detain any person who by his presence interferes with or impedes the operations for extinguishing the fire or for saving life or property;(b)close any street or passage in or near which a fire is burning;(c)for the purpose of extinguishing fire, break into or through or pull down, any premises for the passage of those engaged in fire fighting or appliances or cause them to be broken into or through or pulled down doing as little damage as possible;(d)require the authority in chare of water supply in the area to regulate the water-mains so as to provide water at a specified pressure at the place where fire has broken out and utilise the water of any stream, cistern, well or tank or of any available source of water, public or private, for the purpose of extinguishing or limiting the spread of such fire; provided that in cases of any damage done to any source of water, steam cistern, well or tank belonging to a member of the public or association or body corporate while utilising water in accordance with the provisions of this section under this Act the State Government may entertain at its discretion, claims compensation preferred, by any affected person or party or body corporate as the case may be on merit of each case;(e)exercise the same powers for dispersing an assembly of persons likely to obstruct the fire fighting operations as if he were an officer-in-charge of a police station and as if such an assembly were an unlawful assembly and be entitled to the same immunities and protection as such an officer, in respect of the exercise of such powers;(f)generally take such measures as may appear to him to be necessary for extinguishing the fire or for the protection of life or property and for which no member of the Force working under his order or instructions will be civilly or criminally prosecuted in the court of law.
