Can I legally set fire to my house if I owned it?
As with all legal questions, the answer will depend on where you live but assuming there are no local laws regarding open fires (like the ones which stop you having fires in camp sites), the fire will not cause unnecessary pollution in terms of smoke or run-off, oe endanger people, other properties or protected wild-life then I can't see an issue (though IANAL)Imagine you cut your house up with a chain saw. No legal issue, as long as you own it and don't endanger anyone in the process. You then take the bits and use them to fuel a number of camping fires to cook your meals. Again, local legislation aside, no issue.Now lump all the small fires into one - unless the scale of the blaze causes issues, I can't see a problem.
Is it illegal to not have a fire alarm in your house?
In your own home, its not illegal to not have fire protection, however in will dramatically increase your home insurance premiums, and if there is a fire and the insurance company doesn't know about the removal of fire alarms, they are obligated to not pay out for the claim. For a rental property or apartment complex, yes they must have fire alarms, and in some areas carbon monoxide alarms.
Legal Help 10 pts !?
Ruth was negligent and she is the proximate cause for the chain of events that occurred. However, would it be reasonable for Ruth to have foreseen this entire chain of events as the result of her negligence? It was clearly negligent for the owner of the barn to house dynamite in an unsafe manner without proper precautions against fire. I have a sneaky suspicion that your text book is basing the answer on the issue of proximate cause which would hold Ruth liable for the chain of events, but I personally would think that the contributory negligence of the barn owner would be the larger factor.
Is it legal to burn down your own house, as long as you dont call the fire brigade or claim on insurance?
In my jurisdictions, under your fact pattern (far away from neighbors real property), if you don't have a lien holder, insurance (that you submit a claim for), you can burn your own property. Now some counties (here )require a burn permit, though some require you to pay for a fire truck to stand by. And it would be wise to notify your local law enforcement agency of your date of burn because they will be aggravated (due to many calls reporting the fire) to have to send someone out to check if the burn is supervised or it is an actual accidental fire requiring government intervention (fire trucks). Farmers and ranchers burn old houses , barns , chicken coops and enormous piles of downed trees all the time. You are responsible if the fire gets out of control. The liabilty could be staggering. Your rural fire department is probably wanting a practice house (as the other posters stated), rural fire departments have little local training facilities and the volunteers really need all the practice they can get. You would benefiting your community to offer the building to them. Responsible burning would include a earthen fire break, a satisfactory water source, and at least 3 able people with access to outside communication for a building the size of a house, and the utility companies must be notified so your heat does not damage any nearby supply lines (even underground).. You are not permitted for the smoke to cross a roadway, so the wind and it's speed will be a significant factor. You really should let the professionals handle this burn. But, barring a local ordinance, you can burn your house for no gain under the above conditions. I apolgize for my answer, I have not learned to tell the out- of- US posters ; my answer is only correct in my region of the US.