18-01-06. Fire chiefs and auditors or secretaries of cities and rural fire protection districts must report fires

18-01-06. Fire chiefs and auditors or secretaries of cities and rural fire protection districts must report fires. Within thirty days after the occurrence of any fire in which property in a city or rural fire protection district has been destroyed or damaged, an organization that is contracted by a political subdivision for fire protection or the fire chief of such city or rural fire protection district, if a fire department is maintained therein, or the auditor of the city or the secretary of the rural fire protection district, if a fire department is not maintained therein, shall report the cause, if known, and the origin and circumstances of the fire and the name of the owner and occupant of such property, to the state fire marshal. Reports shall be submitted in a form compliant and compatible with the national emergency response information system, or in a manner prescribed by the state fire marshal. Such report must show whether such fire was the result of carelessness, accident, or design. The provisions of this section must be complied with, insofar as the same are applicable, if the fire is of unknown origin, regardless of the amount of damage caused thereby.