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fire marshal

American  

noun

  1. an official heading a bureau for the prevention or investigation of fires.

  2. a person who has charge of the fire-prevention equipment and personnel of an industrial plant.


fire marshal British  

noun

  1. a public official responsible for investigating the causes of fires, enforcing fire prevention laws, etc

  2. the head of a fire prevention organization

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of fire marshal

First recorded in 1860–65

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Steve Buscemi appeared in a pre-recorded comedic bit, and Eminem surfaced in a stylized role as a fire marshal figure in a sketch that helped drive the episode’s surreal tone.

From Salon May 23, 2026

One fire marshal is in a critical condition and one firefighter is in a serious condition as of Friday evening, Mamdani.

From BBC May 23, 2026

Attendees had to be turned away from one breakfast meeting with top military brass because of legal limits enforced by a fire marshal.

From Barron's Mar. 27, 2026

A local fire marshal, who responded to a school in Connecticut that was filled with smoke from a damaged Chromebook, told NBC, the batteries in the computers produce a toxic smoke when they catch fire.

From Los Angeles Times May 12, 2025

He looked at the fire marshal and said, “You have no idea how hard my kids worked on these.”

From "Because of Mr. Terupt" by Rob Buyea

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