{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/27-32.1.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/27-32.1.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/27-32.1.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/27-32.1.html"}],"law_id":65417,"edition_id":1,"section_id":65417,"structure_id":15172,"section_number":"27-32.1","catch_line":"Right of entry to investigate cause of fire or explosion","history":"1970, c. 187; 2008, cc. 551, 691.","full_text":"If in making such an investigation, the fire marshal shall make complaint under oath that there is good cause of suspicion or belief that the burning of or explosion on any land, building or vessel or of any object was caused by any act constituting a crime as defined in Article 1 (\u00a7 18.2-77 et seq.) of Chapter 5 of Title 18.2 and that he has been refused admittance to the land, building or vessel or to examine the object in or on which any fire or explosion occurred within fifteen days after the extinguishment of such, any magistrate serving the city or county where the land, building, vessel or object is located may issue a warrant to the sheriff of the county or the sergeant of the city requiring him to enter such land, building or vessel or the premises upon which the object is located in the company of the fire marshal for the purposes of conducting a search for evidence showing that such fire or explosion was caused by any act defined in Article 1 of Chapter 5, of Title 18.2.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":237825,"text":"If in making such an investigation, the fire marshal shall make complaint under oath that there is good cause of suspicion or belief that the burning of or explosion on any land, building or vessel or of any object was caused by any act constituting a crime as defined in Article 1 (\u00a7 18.2-77 et seq.) of Chapter 5 of Title 18.2 and that he has been refused admittance to the land, building or vessel or to examine the object in or on which any fire or explosion occurred within fifteen days after the extinguishment of such, any magistrate serving the city or county where the land, building, vessel or object is located may issue a warrant to the sheriff of the county or the sergeant of the city requiring him to enter such land, building or vessel or the premises upon which the object is located in the company of the fire marshal for the purposes of conducting a search for evidence showing that such fire or explosion was caused by any act defined in Article 1 of Chapter 5, of Title 18.2.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":15172,"edition_id":1,"name":"Local Fire Marshals","identifier":"3","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":13504,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:52:41","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:52:41","permalink":{"id":190183,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":15172,"identifier":"3","token":"27\/3","url":"\/27\/3\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":13504,"edition_id":1,"name":"Fire Protection","identifier":"27","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:45:05","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:45:05","permalink":{"id":189965,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13504,"identifier":"27","token":"27","url":"\/27\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":69739,"structure_id":15172,"section_number":"27-30","catch_line":"Appointment of fire marshal","url":"\/27-30\/","token":"27\/3\/27-30","metadata":false},{"id":58177,"structure_id":15172,"section_number":"27-31","catch_line":"Investigation of fires and explosions","url":"\/27-31\/","token":"27\/3\/27-31","metadata":false},{"id":66318,"structure_id":15172,"section_number":"27-32","catch_line":"Summoning witnesses and taking evidence","url":"\/27-32\/","token":"27\/3\/27-32","metadata":false},{"id":65417,"structure_id":15172,"section_number":"27-32.1","catch_line":"Right of entry to investigate cause of fire or explosion","url":"\/27-32.1\/","token":"27\/3\/27-32.1","metadata":false},{"id":70646,"structure_id":15172,"section_number":"27-32.2","catch_line":"Issuance of fire investigation warrant","url":"\/27-32.2\/","token":"27\/3\/27-32.2","metadata":false},{"id":57781,"structure_id":15172,"section_number":"27-33","catch_line":"Report of investigation","url":"\/27-33\/","token":"27\/3\/27-33","metadata":false},{"id":63090,"structure_id":15172,"section_number":"27-34","catch_line":"Duties and powers at fires","url":"\/27-34\/","token":"27\/3\/27-34","metadata":false},{"id":77843,"structure_id":15172,"section_number":"27-34.1","catch_line":"Power of fire marshal or fire chief to take property found at scene of fire or explosion; restitution of such property","url":"\/27-34.1\/","token":"27\/3\/27-34.1","metadata":false},{"id":73497,"structure_id":15172,"section_number":"27-34.2","catch_line":"Power to arrest, to procure and serve warrants and to issue summons; limitation on authority","url":"\/27-34.2\/","token":"27\/3\/27-34.2","metadata":false},{"id":66294,"structure_id":15172,"section_number":"27-34.2:1","catch_line":"Police powers of fire marshals","url":"\/27-34.2_1\/","token":"27\/3\/27-34.2_1","metadata":false},{"id":78703,"structure_id":15172,"section_number":"27-34.3","catch_line":"Power to order immediate compliance with law, etc., or prohibit use of building or equipment","url":"\/27-34.3\/","token":"27\/3\/27-34.3","metadata":false},{"id":63484,"structure_id":15172,"section_number":"27-34.4","catch_line":"Inspection and review of plans of buildings under construction","url":"\/27-34.4\/","token":"27\/3\/27-34.4","metadata":false},{"id":84379,"structure_id":15172,"section_number":"27-35","catch_line":"Penalty for failure to discharge duty","url":"\/27-35\/","token":"27\/3\/27-35","metadata":false},{"id":83809,"structure_id":15172,"section_number":"27-36","catch_line":"Appointment, powers and duties of assistant fire marshals","url":"\/27-36\/","token":"27\/3\/27-36","metadata":false},{"id":87151,"structure_id":15172,"section_number":"27-37","catch_line":"Oath of fire marshal and assistants","url":"\/27-37\/","token":"27\/3\/27-37","metadata":false},{"id":84739,"structure_id":15172,"section_number":"27-37.1","catch_line":"Right of entry to investigate releases of hazardous material, hazardous waste, or regulated substances","url":"\/27-37.1\/","token":"27\/3\/27-37.1","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":66318,"structure_id":15172,"section_number":"27-32","catch_line":"Summoning witnesses and taking evidence","url":"\/27-32\/","token":"27\/3\/27-32","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":70646,"structure_id":15172,"section_number":"27-32.2","catch_line":"Issuance of fire investigation warrant","url":"\/27-32.2\/","token":"27\/3\/27-32.2","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/27-32.1\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 1970. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 187 of that year\u2019s edition of \u201cActs of Assembly,\u201d the annual state publication listing all changes made to the Code of Virginia in that year. Unfortunately, the 1970 \u201cActs\u201d aren\u2019t available online. It has been modified 1 time. Those modifications are cataloged by \u201cThe Acts of Assembly,\u201d a state publication, by year and chapter. Those modifications that can be read on the General Assembly\u2019s website will be linked accordingly. That modification is as follows: in 2008, chapters 551<\/a> and 691<\/a>.<\/p>","references":[{"id":70646,"section_number":"27-32.2","catch_line":"Issuance of fire investigation warrant","order_by":null,"url":"\/27-32.2\/"},{"id":77843,"section_number":"27-34.1","catch_line":"Power of fire marshal or fire chief to take property found at scene of fire or explosion; restitution of such property","order_by":null,"url":"\/27-34.1\/"}],"refers_to":[{"id":62707,"section_number":"18.2-77","catch_line":"Burning or destroying dwelling house, etc","order_by":null,"url":"\/18.2-77\/"}],"permalink":{"id":190197,"object_type":"law","relational_id":65417,"identifier":"27-32.1","token":"27\/3\/27-32.1","url":"\/27-32.1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/27-32.1\/","token":"27\/3\/27-32.1","dublin_core":{"Title":"Right of entry to investigate cause of fire or explosion","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 27-32.1","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

If in making such an investigation, the fire marshal shall make complaint under oath<\/span> that there is good cause of suspicion or belief that the burning of or explosion on any land, building or vessel or of any object<\/span> was caused by any act constituting a crime<\/span> as defined in Article 1 (\u00a7 18.2-77<\/a> et seq.) of Chapter 5 of Title 18.2 and that he has been refused admittance to the land, building or vessel or to examine the object<\/span> in or on which any fire or explosion occurred within fifteen days after the extinguishment of such, any magistrate<\/span> serving the city or county where the land, building, vessel or object<\/span> is located may issue<\/span> a warrant to the sheriff of the county or the sergeant of the city requiring him to enter such land, building or vessel or the premises upon which the object<\/span> is located in the company of the fire marshal for the purposes of conducting a search for evidence<\/span> showing that such fire or explosion was caused by any act defined in Article 1 of Chapter 5, of Title 18.2.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nRIGHT OF ENTRY TO INVESTIGATE CAUSE OF FIRE OR EXPLOSION (\u00a7 27-32.1)\n\nIf in making such an investigation, the fire marshal shall make complaint under\noath that there is good cause of suspicion or belief that the burning of or\nexplosion on any land, building or vessel or of any object was caused by any act\nconstituting a crime as defined in Article 1 (\u00a7 18.2-77 et seq.) of Chapter 5\nof Title 18.2 and that he has been refused admittance to the land, building or\nvessel or to examine the object in or on which any fire or explosion occurred\nwithin fifteen days after the extinguishment of such, any magistrate serving the\ncity or county where the land, building, vessel or object is located may issue a\nwarrant to the sheriff of the county or the sergeant of the city requiring him\nto enter such land, building or vessel or the premises upon which the object is\nlocated in the company of the fire marshal for the purposes of conducting a\nsearch for evidence showing that such fire or explosion was caused by any act\ndefined in Article 1 of Chapter 5, of Title 18.2.\n\nHISTORY: 1970, c. 187; 2008, cc. 551, 691.","edition":{"id":1,"name":"2025","slug":"2025","date_created":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","date_modified":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","current":1,"order_by":1,"last_import":null}}