TARGET SHOOTING CAUSED 10 FIRES THIS YEAR; CAL FIRE ISSUES SAFETY GUIDELINES

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August 15, 2011 (El Cajon)—Cal Fire/San Diego County Fire Authority has experienced a major increase of fires caused by recreational shooting across the County. To date, CAL FIRE/San Diego has had 10 fires caused by target shooting this year, up from only two the prior year.

 

“There are two types of rounds that we have recovered at the some of these locations,” Cal Fire Captain Mike Mohlere reports, “the first being a Russian made bullet with the caliber of 7.62 x 54R and the other being a 5.56 X 45 caliber used in a M4 rifle." Both are either steel tipped or steel cored bullets which can cause fires when they strike rocks or come apart, he added.

 

Currently there are five cost collection packages that have been issued for the amount of $253,747.68 for fighting these fires.

 

Cal Fire/San Diego County Fire Authority is asking the public to exercise extreme caution when engaging in recreational target shooting.  The agencies offer these tips:

 

Survey your location for brush clearance and always look behind a potential target to see where the round may end up. It is important to always be aware of current weather conditions prior to these types of activities and plan your activities around cooler times of the day with higher humidities.
 


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Comments

Target Shooting Caused 10 Fires......

Yes, shooting can cause fires.....I know since I was a Marine and helped extinguish several fires on the ranges HOWEVER in these times it is easy for the people who wish to eliminate our Second Amendment Rights to own and use firearms to use such occorances (confirmed or not) to further their agenda.

I sugest that we get the names and locations as well as the documented evidence of what caused these ten fires. This information should be public information. If the documentation is refused there are legal means to demand this information.

Oh I love the uninformed

Isn't it wonderful when Capt Mike says they recover bullets "5.56X45 caliber used in a M4 rifle" When anyone knows that an M4 is the short barreled fully automatic M16 that is typically used by the drug cartels and the Mexican Military. There are fewer and fewer "legal" public shooting ranges in this county and the numbers diminish by the day.

If the law abiding gun owner wants to take the family shooting it takes HOURS to get to areas that are legal to shoot. This just adds to the "illegal" activity.

Most alerts seem more to get the "ammo" pun intended to attempt to close all public shooting areas. Come on BLM, DFG, etc. get some good, safe, close, public shooting ranges that we the law abiding good guys, that make up 99.9999% of the shooting public to let us train our young ones on the safe and proper handling of firearms so accidents won't happen.