{"data":{"id":"us-wi/wis.-stat.-26.21","jurisdiction":"us-wi","citation":"Wis. Stat. § 26.21","heading":"Civil liability for forest fires.","body":"(1) In addition to the penalties provided in s. 26.20, the United States, the state, the county or private owners, whose property is injured or destroyed by forest fires, may recover, in a civil action, double the amount of damages suffered, if the fires occurred through willfulness, malice or negligence. In a civil action, a court may award reasonable costs for legal representation to provide owners recovering damages under this subsection.\n(2) Persons causing fires in violation of this chapter shall be liable to the state in an action for debt, to the full amount of all damages done to the state lands and for all expenses incurred by the towns fighting forest fires and shall be liable to municipalities in an action for debt, to the full amount of all damages to the municipal lands and for all expenses incurred by the municipalities fighting such fires.","path":["Chs. 23-34, Public Domain and the Trust Funds","Chapter 26 Protection Of Forest Lands And Forest Productivity"],"source_url":"https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/document/statutes/26.21","current_through":"2023-24 Wisconsin Statutes updated through 2025 Wis. Act 247 (published 9-4-26)","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-09-05T12:00:13Z","sha256":"b97a740834330324776d92ec8da658994149b728c3bb44c5bcf41d98a1f36e89","source_id":"us-wi","stale":false,"prev":"us-wi/wis.-stat.-26.205","next":"us-wi/wis.-stat.-26.22"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}