Huh? Shooting causes forest fires?

[Guest confidence]

That's what these people claim:

 

http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/2013-08-01/news/target-shooting-a-major-cause-of-arizona-forest-fires/

[GlockSpock]

Well...it can. Incendiary/tracer rounds are prohibited at a lot of ranges for this reason. I don't know anything about sparks and different jacketed bullets. I doubt that sparks would be of little concern because they probably are quite rare, but may be possible?

[monkeylizard]

I've made the grass smoke a little at Gallatin gun club when I hit an unseen rock that was hiding out at one of the berms. It's very possible, especially in dry conditions. If it had been a really dry time with some wind, I could see that having  gotten out of hand in a hurry.

Edited August 2, 2013 by monkeylizard

[Garufa]

I believe a lot of ranges out west ban steel core and steel jacked ammo (along with tracers of course) for this very reason.

[gjohnsoniv]

I personally have sent some tracers zinging off into slightly less then ideal areas of a range.

[peejman]

The morons from "Sons of Guns" managed to set the swamp on fire with a machine gun.  So yes, it's quite possible.

[Caster]

I've seen the grass smolder a good bit at Charlie's from muzzle loader patches. Get a couple of smoke poles going and dozen patches on the ground during a dry summer and you'll get a bit of smoke.

My stuff would take divine intervention to ignite. You can't get fire or sparks from cast lead. Well, maybe if I was shooting a chunk of flint rock.

[Guest TankerHC]

I have put out (With lots of help) more range fires than I care to count. Ive seen plenty of them spread to forest fires. Started a bunch myself. But then, we were firing 105 and 120 TPT and .50 API and 7.62 tracer rounds. Will start a fire quick. Watched a fire at Hood burn all the way up from 3000 meters away, go right past us and had an old wood range tower burn to the ground along with a few acres of trees. While were out there trying to put it out with shovels.

 

One range fire went all the way up to Killeen and was burning lots in town, whole town was smoked up and little fires everywhere.

 

Even when not firing TPT or API or something like that, causes range fires. When fire level was high, we would pull the tracers, link back without them and STILL have huge range fires.

[Sam1]

As tanker said, I've also started many fires with a tank, both main gun & mg's

[TMF]

I've started many fires on the ranges out there in New Mexico. That scrub will catch fire if you look at it wrong.

[NoBanStan]

Didn't watch TGO's own 50% tactical almost burning down a forest with one shot of dragons breath? :)

[TNcitizen22]

I started a fire on the family property last year after I hit a rock over some very dry tender. It happens.

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[Paladin132]

I have put out (With lots of help) more range fires than I care to count. Ive seen plenty of them spread to forest fires. Started a bunch myself. But then, we were firing 105 and 120 TPT and .50 API and 7.62 tracer rounds. Will start a fire quick. Watched a fire at Hood burn all the way up from 3000 meters away, go right past us and had an old wood range tower burn to the ground along with a few acres of trees. While were out there trying to put it out with shovels.

 

One range fire went all the way up to Killeen and was burning lots in town, whole town was smoked up and little fires everywhere.

 

Even when not firing TPT or API or something like that, causes range fires. When fire level was high, we would pull the tracers, link back without them and STILL have huge range fires.

Ahhhh the good old days on BWMU range. 

[whitewolf001]

Didn't watch TGO's own 50% tactical almost burning down a forest with one shot of dragons breath? :)

 

That stuff is VICIOUS!