Washington Firearms use banned on WDFW lands

[powermad]

When I worked in the woods it wan't uncommon for the woods to be shut down to any motorized vehicles when it went to red.
A hot tailpipe is all that's required to start a fire.
A shovel and a gallon of water is not going to be remotely useful if that happens.

The couple times stuff took off on me was at home and thankfully easily contained.
In the woods you don't have ready acess to a hose and a steady supply of water.
I think I'll limit my chances of starting a fire and just be a bit patient till the weather is better.

A dedicated range would be great but many don't have that option and use public lands.

 

[308]

A hot shell in dry grass will ignite a grass fire...

I get the jest of your post, but in 5 decades of shooting I have never seen a spent shell casing eject, or dropped being hot enough to ignite a fire. Just do the math....

 

[powermad]

Hot tailpipes will start a fire.
Just because it hasn't happened to you doesn't mean it won't.

There are things you can do to mitigate that like putting a tarp down to catch brass.
Which I do anyway regardless of the condititions. It just makes picking up the brass easier.

Common scence will prevail if you just stop long enough to think about what you are doing.
Like steel plates, those can send fragments off to any direction and are more than hot enough to start a fire in conditions such as these.

You just have to be smart about stuff is all.
Unfortunately a few people that can't think at all, make it so that everyone is affected.

 

[308]

I didn't quote anything about hot tailpipes. You said spent brass will start a fire. Pretty hard for that to happen unless it is red hot. Do the math...

 

[U8395279]

Seriously????

Guns cause wildfires.


.

 

[JRuby]

I will not shoot on my own property when it's this dry why would I shoot on someone else's. I support the ban. There are a lot of idiots out there that have no stake in the game.

 

[Alan12013]

I worry that this is a common occurrence. A good idea is put forth to prevent something bad. None of us here want to see a fire. Although we're hard as they come none of us want to cause harm. The idea isn't the best way-forward but we feel the need to take the perceived moral decision as the way-forward. Surely there are alternatives that can be discussed. I'd support cameras at forest entrances off the highway that can be called upon when something bad happens. Due in part to serial killers we now have cameras at every single freeway exit ramp that are not monitored but can later be used. Could be a deterrent for people who trash the land. Just one idea. As mentioned above, some one was shooting at exploding targets... bad idea. Not sure what can cure bad ideas. I have my way of living my life and don't take advantage of people or land and treat things as smart as I'm capable of. I love that I can take my gun into the forest and be able to shoot. For many reasons I prefer being in the forest to a range. I choose my spot carefully, as per regulation even. I don't even like improved shooting lanes. I'm afraid to say I think due to the sheer amount of people who show less respect or make bad decisions, people like me will get our rights infringed upon. It's summer, good time to do shooting, which is why we're in competition season right now. I'd rather have a gate closed and have to hike way back to my spot then not be able to shoot at all.

 

[EPS]

Got stuck in the traffic today just a few hours ago. I90 Cheany Washington

 

[EPS]

I90 east bound was closed and west bound was closed for a little bit I was able to take a few pictures when I was sitting there in the middle of the CLOSE down .once the fire crews got in place they let me and the other cars get out of there .

 

[powermad]

I also stated that I worked in the woods and had it shut down to motorized vehicles as a hot tailpipe will start a fire.

Those are not red hot but yet manage to start a fire.

In the right conditions a spent shell could very well could start one.
I won't be putting that to the test though. Some things I'll just take their word for.

There are many other things that are gun related besides hot casings, that is just one example of what "could" happen.

As stated steel targets are a source of ignition.
Hitting a rock in the berm is a source
A meteroite falling out of the sky is a source.

If you are in the woods when the meter is red it's not just shooting that you need to be aware of.
Anything that can make a spark is to be of concern.

Like the kid with the smoke bomb last year. Really? You have to be told that is a bad idea?

If you have a good spot to shoot that's great.
Myself I'll just play it safe and wait it out, as always.

 

[powermad]

Never underestimate how easily some things will ignite.

I was working on a truck mounted paper shredder in the inside.
The bolt I was removing had got hot enough from friction to start the dust smoldering.
By the time I had grabbed the hose that was nearby it had started to spread.
After that I just soaked evrything down with a hose before working on it.

I've seen a couple good fires up close and am not to proud to say that they scared the sh** out of me.
Being burned alive is pretty much my all time favorite way of not dying.

I've developed a pretty good respect for fire and how easily it spreads.

Oily rags can and will ignite with no outside source of ignition in the right conditions.
It doesn't have to be red hot, just enough to smolder with a puff of air and WOOF.
Which is why dirty rag cans have a self closing lid.

But I digress..

 

[Stomper]

Three things are required for combustion.

1.
Fuel

2.
Ignition source with the appropriate temperature for the fuel.

3.
Air


Take away any ONE of those three, and you won't have a fire.... seems to me there's only ONE thing we can control as far as our actions are concerned in the hot, dry forests... that's by not being a potential ignition source.

 

[drstrangelove]

Does this include Larch Mountian and surrounding areas?

 

[edslhead]

Didnt read far enough. Says closed now.

2018 Shooting Area Fire Closures

 

[drstrangelove]

Didnt read far enough. Says closed now.

2018 Shooting Area Fire Closures

Well crap.

 

[Kristina]

I don't get why this even needs to be discussed or argued or whatever. Fact #1: Forest fires are (generally speaking) bad. Fact #2: Shooting in the forest under certain circumstances can cause fires. If a person wants to take that chance then go for it, but trying rationalize or justify it as a good idea is just silly.

 

[Kruel J]

I'm goin' shootin' this weekend! Got me a pile of tracers and some of those explodin' targets and me and the boys is gonna have some fun! If we sees any little fires pop up from the tracers we'll just use some whiskey to put them out!

Common sense isn't so common unfortunately.

 

[Kristina]

I'm goin' shootin' this weekend! Got me a pile of tracers and some of those explodin' targets and me and the boys is gonna have some fun! If we sees any little fires pop up from the tracers we'll just use some whiskey to put them out!

Common sense isn't so common unfortunately.

Why waste the good whiskey when you can just piss 'em out

 

[Kruel J]

Why waste the good whiskey when you can just piss 'em out

Dam right! Even better we'll just spit some beechnut on 'em.

 

[Member 34319]

I've been doing this for some time now. I volunteer regularly and spend time in the woods performing ride alongs with the forestry department and the fire departments.

Trust me when I say that a bullet CAN cause a fire. PERIOD.

Bullets are traveling very very fast, when something traveling fast is forced to slow down really quickly, it creates a lot of friction. Friction causes heat. Heat can cause a fire.

I'll challenge anyone who has some nice dry firewood on their property to perform a test. Fire a 22 or 9mm into a log, wait a bit, then cut it open near where you hit.

You'll actually see the burn marks, nice black trail of friction.

Imagine your unaware of the rules of shooting on public lands, and you choose a bunch of downed logs as your backstop. Logs that have rot away over the last three rainy seasons, that are now sort of a mix of mulch and wood. Give that mulch a few weeks to dry in a heat spell. Now shoot at it with a rifle caliber like 223 or 308. Go ahead and empty a magazine or two into it. Why not a few magazines, you know, just to increase the odds. I would not be surprised something is not smoldering inside by that point.

This happens a lot. There is a lot of wood in the woods.

Don't take the chance.

Earthen backstop. A large one at best.

Bring the right tools, a good shovel, 5 gallons of water, a 2.5-5# fire extinguisher.