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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>65417</law_id><section_number>27-32.1</section_number><catch_line>Right of entry to investigate cause of fire or explosion</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>27-32.2</reference><reference>27-34.1</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="27">Fire Protection</unit><unit label="chapter" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="3">Local Fire Marshals</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>If in making such an investigation, the fire marshal shall make complaint under <span class="dictionary">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 <span class="dictionary">object</span> was caused by any act constituting a <span class="dictionary">crime</span> as defined in Article 1 (&#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Burning or destroying dwelling house, etc" href="/18.2-77/">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 <span class="dictionary">object</span> in or on which any fire or explosion occurred within fifteen days after the extinguishment of such, any <span class="dictionary">magistrate</span> serving the city or county where the land, building, vessel or <span class="dictionary">object</span> is located may <span class="dictionary">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 <span class="dictionary">object</span> is located in the company of the fire marshal for the purposes of conducting a search for <span class="dictionary">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></text><history>1970, c. 187; 2008, cc. 551, 691.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
