Immediately after the occurrence of any fire, the Chief shall investigate the cause, origin, and circumstances thereof and, as far as possible, he or she shall determine whether the fire was the result of accident, carelessness, or design. If he or she has reason to believe that the fire was of suspicious origin, he or she shall notify the proper authorities, designated by law to pursue the investigation of the matter, and shall further cooperate with the authorities in the collection of evidence and in the prosecution of the case when properly instituted.
(Prior Code, § 3-2004)