Fire brigade charges - fire started onCouncil property

IrishTweetie

HI Folks

I know there has been numerous threads on this, however none where the fire started on council property.

IN short, some passerby started a fire (potentially accidential) on the roadside next to my field. The property is owned by Louth County Council as they have been maintaining it for years, and also i believe its on the maps from years ago they bought a strip to allow widening of the road.

The fire spread onto my field ditch. I applied water and sand to my ditch to contain the fire over a few days.

THe fire continued to smoulder, and the fire brigade was called by a neighbour.

I explained to the firebrigade with photographs, that the council property is where the fire started.

They have sent me an invoice for the call out and attending the fire.

Am i liable as it wasnt caused by me, it started on the council property, probably caused by someone throwing a cigarette

Am i liable to pay this bill?

Peregrinus

I'm afraid you are. The liablity for fire service charges doesn't depend on who started the fire, or on whose property the fire started; it depends on whose property the fire service protected. They protected your property; you get hit with the charge.

Can you recover it from the Council, on the grounds that the fire spread from their property, and they are therefore responsible? Nope; it's long settled that there is no liablity for the spread of an accidental fire from one property to another. That's what you have fire insurance for.

You may be able to recover it from your insurer — depends on the terms of any policy you have in place.

cap.in.hand.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122599894#Comment_122599894

They was a part of a neighbours forest burned when his neighbours forest went on fire and the fire spread...I believe he was compensated by the other forest owner or his insurance