Any fire burning uncontrolled on any forested, cutover, brushland, or grassland area is a public nuisance by reason of its menace to life and property. Any person responsible either for the starting or the existence of a fire shall make a reasonable effort to control or extinguish the fire as soon as he or she has knowledge of the fire. Any organized fire suppression force may suppress the nuisance by controlling and extinguishing the fire, and the cost may be recovered from the person responsible for the starting or existence of the fire.

(Acts 1939, No. 429, p. 711, § 2; Code 1940, T. 8, §205; Act 2026-402, §1.)