Gunfire ignites fourth major brush fire
Target shooting is being blamed for a fire that burned 266 acres on BLM land in Franklin County Wednesday. Benton County Fire District 3 chief Mike Harris says gunfire is to blame for all four major brush fires in the region this summer.
"He had a good backstop, somewhat of a clear area, he did have a shovel and water," Harris said. "But the way the wind was blowing there were some dust devils in the area-- it just took off too fast."
Harris says it's best to go to a managed firing range for target shooting, or at the very least, make sure your firing toward a dirt bank, use non-metallic targets, and make sure there is no dry grass or other brush nearby. Sparks can fly when a bullet hits a rock, and even a hot bullet or shell casing can be enough to ignite dry brush.
"We're at a very high fire danger, so we're at a volatile part of the year where things ignite readily and spread very fast."
Starting a fire on public lands... even accidentally... could lead to you getting a bill to help pay for fighting the fire. Harris says you won't generally get a ticket for an accidental fire, but the Bureau of Land Management, Forest Service, and other federal agencies could ask you to share the cost of suppressing the fire.