{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/44-208.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/44-208.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/44-208.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/44-208.html"}],"law_id":71954,"edition_id":1,"section_id":71954,"structure_id":13450,"section_number":"44-208","catch_line":"Securing site of structural failure, fire, explosion, or industrial or transportation accident","history":"1982, c. 213.","full_text":"The official in charge of the investigation of any structural failure, fire, explosion, or industrial or transportation accident which results in the loss of human life, except when caused by a natural disaster or war, may secure for no more than twelve hours so much of the site where it occurred as, in his opinion, may be necessary to gather evidence regarding the cause of the occurrence. No owner or lessee of the site may be denied entrance except to prevent the destruction of evidence.\n\t\tIn cases of fire from any cause, the chief or other authorized officer of any fire department or fire company in command at the fire shall have the rights and authority granted to him and his subordinates upon his order or direction by \u00a7 27-17.1. Nothing in this section shall limit or otherwise affect the authority of, or be construed to deny access to such site by, any person charged by law with the responsibility of investigating any such accident.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":259279,"text":"The official in charge of the investigation of any structural failure, fire, explosion, or industrial or transportation accident which results in the loss of human life, except when caused by a natural disaster or war, may secure for no more than twelve hours so much of the site where it occurred as, in his opinion, may be necessary to gather evidence regarding the cause of the occurrence. No owner or lessee of the site may be denied entrance except to prevent the destruction of evidence.\n\t\tIn cases of fire from any cause, the chief or other authorized officer of any fire department or fire company in command at the fire shall have the rights and authority granted to him and his subordinates upon his order or direction by \u00a7 27-17.1. Nothing in this section shall limit or otherwise affect the authority of, or be construed to deny access to such site by, any person charged by law with the responsibility of investigating any such accident.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":13450,"edition_id":1,"name":"Miscellaneous Laws","identifier":"7","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":13446,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:44:54","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:44:54","permalink":{"id":222517,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13450,"identifier":"7","token":"44\/7","url":"\/44\/7\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":13446,"edition_id":1,"name":"Military and Emergency Laws","identifier":"44","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:44:54","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:44:54","permalink":{"id":221549,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13446,"identifier":"44","token":"44","url":"\/44\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":54710,"structure_id":13450,"section_number":"44-204","catch_line":"Leaves of absence for employees of Commonwealth or political subdivisions","url":"\/44-204\/","token":"44\/7\/44-204","metadata":false},{"id":54409,"structure_id":13450,"section_number":"44-205","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/44-205\/","token":"44\/7\/44-205","metadata":false},{"id":76225,"structure_id":13450,"section_number":"44-206","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/44-206\/","token":"44\/7\/44-206","metadata":false},{"id":71954,"structure_id":13450,"section_number":"44-208","catch_line":"Securing site of structural failure, fire, explosion, or industrial or transportation accident","url":"\/44-208\/","token":"44\/7\/44-208","metadata":false},{"id":65129,"structure_id":13450,"section_number":"44-209","catch_line":"Closure of United States government; civil relief for furloughed employees and contractors","url":"\/44-209\/","token":"44\/7\/44-209","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":76225,"structure_id":13450,"section_number":"44-206","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/44-206\/","token":"44\/7\/44-206","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":65129,"structure_id":13450,"section_number":"44-209","catch_line":"Closure of United States government; civil relief for furloughed employees and contractors","url":"\/44-209\/","token":"44\/7\/44-209","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/44-208\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 1982. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 213 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 1982 \u201cActs\u201d aren\u2019t available online.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":[{"id":69462,"section_number":"27-17.1","catch_line":"Remaining on premises after fire extinguished","order_by":null,"url":"\/27-17.1\/"}],"permalink":{"id":222531,"object_type":"law","relational_id":71954,"identifier":"44-208","token":"44\/7\/44-208","url":"\/44-208\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/44-208\/","token":"44\/7\/44-208","dublin_core":{"Title":"Securing site of structural failure, fire, explosion, or industrial or transportation accident","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 44-208","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

The official in charge of the investigation of any structural failure, fire, explosion, or industrial or transportation accident which results in the loss of human life, except when caused by a natural disaster or war, may secure for no more than twelve hours so much of the site where it occurred as, in his opinion<\/span>, may be necessary to gather evidence<\/span> regarding the cause of the occurrence. No owner or lessee of the site may be denied entrance except to prevent the destruction of evidence<\/span>.\n\t\tIn cases of fire from any cause, the chief or other authorized officer of any fire department or fire company in command at the fire shall have the rights and authority granted to him and his subordinates upon his order<\/span> or direction by \u00a7 27-17.1<\/a>. Nothing in this section shall limit or otherwise affect the authority of, or be construed to deny access to such site by, any person charged by law<\/span> with the responsibility of investigating any such accident.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nSECURING SITE OF STRUCTURAL FAILURE, FIRE, EXPLOSION, OR INDUSTRIAL OR\nTRANSPORTATION ACCIDENT (\u00a7 44-208)\n\nThe official in charge of the investigation of any structural failure, fire,\nexplosion, or industrial or transportation accident which results in the loss of\nhuman life, except when caused by a natural disaster or war, may secure for no\nmore than twelve hours so much of the site where it occurred as, in his opinion,\nmay be necessary to gather evidence regarding the cause of the occurrence. No\nowner or lessee of the site may be denied entrance except to prevent the\ndestruction of evidence.\n\t\tIn cases of fire from any cause, the chief or other authorized officer of any\nfire department or fire company in command at the fire shall have the rights and\nauthority granted to him and his subordinates upon his order or direction by \u00a7\n27-17.1. Nothing in this section shall limit or otherwise affect the authority\nof, or be construed to deny access to such site by, any person charged by law\nwith the responsibility of investigating any such accident.\n\nHISTORY: 1982, c. 213.","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}}