There is hereby established a fund in the state treasury to be known as the state fire suppression special revenue fund which is hereby appropriated for the payment of costs incurred by the state wildland fire coordinator in suppressing and extinguishing forest and wildland fires and emergency rangeland fires; for the payment of costs incurred by the Governor in authorizing fire prevention measures; and for the payment of costs incurred by the secretary of public safety in hiring a fire suppression force to assist any other fire suppression agency, regardless of whether the fire being suppressed is within the territorial jurisdiction of the State of South Dakota. The fire suppression agency shall either execute or have an existing cooperative fire suppression agreement with the South Dakota Department of Public Safety.

As used in this section, emergency rangeland fires, includes fires outside the Black Hills Forest Fire Protection District that the Governor declares as an emergency and the state wildland fire division assists with fire suppression and extinguishment.

Any damages paid from judgments or settlements in civil actions taken under § 41-20A-6 and reimbursements or contributions from other sources for suppressing forest and wildland fires may be deposited into the fund.

Source: SL 2013, ch 196, § 27; SL 2021, ch 1 (Ex. Ord. 21-3), § 69, eff. Apr. 19, 2021.