In this subtitle the following words have the meanings indicated. “Fire investigator” means an official of the State, a county, or a municipal corporation who is legally designated to have legal responsibility for investigating fires and suppressing arson. “Fire investigator” includes a fire marshal. “Insurer” means a person licensed or established by the State to insure property of any kind.

On request of a fire investigator, an insurer investigating a fire loss of real or personal property shall cooperate with and release to the fire investigator any information it has about the fire loss, including: each insurance policy and application for the policy relevant to the fire loss; policy premium payment records; previous claims made by the insured for fire loss; and material that relates to the investigation of the fire loss, proof of loss, and any other relevant evidence.

If an insurer has reason to suspect that a fire loss to real or personal property of the insured was caused by incendiary means, the insurer shall: notify the fire investigator; provide the fire investigator with all relevant material acquired during the insurer’s investigation of the fire loss; cooperate with and take any action requested by the fire investigator; and allow a person, on court order, to inspect any of the insurer’s records that relate to the policy and the fire loss.

A fire investigator who receives information under this subtitle shall keep the information confidential until the release of the information is required in accordance with a civil or criminal proceeding.

In the absence of fraud, an insurer or person who provides information on its behalf is not subject to criminal prosecution for an oral or written statement made or other action taken that is necessary to provide information required under this subtitle. An insurer or person who provides information on its behalf has the immunity from liability described in § 5-409 of the Courts Article.

A person may not purposely: refuse to release information that a fire investigator requests under § 9-602 of this subtitle; refuse to report a fire loss to a fire investigator under §§ 9-602 and 9-603 of this subtitle; refuse to provide a fire investigator with relevant information required to be provided under §§ 9-602 and 9-603 of this subtitle; or fail to keep information confidential as required under § 9-604 of this subtitle. A person who violates this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and on conviction is subject to imprisonment not exceeding 10 days or a fine not exceeding $1,000 or both.