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Guns blamed for starting wildfires in parched West
Associated Press ^ | 7/3/12 | BRIAN SKOLOFF and NICHOLAS K. GERANIOS | Associated Press

Posted on 07/03/2012 6:43:57 PM PDT by mdittmar

(AP) — Campfires, fireworks and even lit cigarettes can spark wildfires. In the tinder-dry West, there is growing concern about the threat from guns.

This year, officials believe target shooting or other firearms use sparked at least 21 wildfires in Utah and nearly a dozen in Idaho. Shooting is also believed to have caused fires in Arizona, Nevada and New Mexico.

Those concerns come as states grapple with ways to cut the risk of new fires ahead of the Fourth of July holiday when many people fire their guns to celebrate the nation's independence.

(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: banglist; guns
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To: mdittmar
"Officials believe."

Well, it must be true, then.

</sarcasm>

41 posted on 07/03/2012 8:23:44 PM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum (Government is the religion of the sociopath.)
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To: Inyo-Mono

Right with you.
But leaving dead wood and underbrush creates a situation where just about anything can start a forest fire.
And the environuts will not allow any clearing of dead wood, so as to cause a wildfire that they can then blame on what ever the cause du jour is.
Responsible tree farmers clear dead wood so that fires don’t start in the first place.
Environmental goofs and govt stooges have no clue about responsible forestry.

never let a crisis go to waste.


42 posted on 07/03/2012 8:24:24 PM PDT by Texas resident (November 6 - Vote Against obama)
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To: bboop

AMEN


43 posted on 07/03/2012 8:24:24 PM PDT by doc1019 (Voting for the lesser of two evils is still voting for evil.)
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To: Repeal The 17th
“...many people fire their guns to celebrate the nation’s independence...”
-
I’ve never done that, and I don’t know anyone who has ever done that.
Am I missing out on something?

Mexicans do that. In Santa Ana, CA they shoot in the air in the direction of rival neighborhoods. Third World tribalism at its best.

44 posted on 07/03/2012 8:27:49 PM PDT by Jeff Chandler (I miss Harriet Miers.)
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To: mdittmar

The usual AP lies. The big fires in Colorado were all started by lightening strikes into forests that are tinder-dry because we’re in the first year of a typical 11-year sun-spot-cycle drought.


45 posted on 07/03/2012 8:33:37 PM PDT by catnipman (Cat Nipman: Vote Republican in 2012 and only be called racist one more time!)
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To: mdittmar

Guns cause forest fires in swing states. What an A-hole!


46 posted on 07/03/2012 8:42:15 PM PDT by sanjuanbob (Festina Lente)
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To: Ron C.

I agree that a significant number of the fires started are arson. Have someone check out how many of the houses that burned were up for sale. That was a pretty common activity in Californicate back in the 70s when whole subdivisions were torched for the insurance money. Another aspect is the common criminal getting even with the government. Target shooting, I doubt it. One article alleged that two target shooters admitted that target shooting caused the fire ... I’m extremely doubtful ... sounds like trying to cover up a fire started through carelessness such as a campfire, cigarettes, etc.


47 posted on 07/03/2012 8:42:29 PM PDT by RetiredTexasVet (Skittle pooping unicorns are more common than progressives with honor & integrity.)
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To: Repeal The 17th
“...many people fire their guns to celebrate the nation’s independence...”

This is an urban phenomenon — NYC, Chicago, Los Angeles — and is an aberration. Responsible shooters do not do this. I think it was imported by Muslims from the Middle East who fire at the sky for no apparent reason other than to ward off demons, celebrate a birth of a goat or camel or human, or a bowel movement.

48 posted on 07/03/2012 8:55:07 PM PDT by MasterGunner01 (11)
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To: MasterGunner01

What crap...try to start a fire by shooting. Yet another insipid attempt to give reasons why people shouldn’t have guns. These anti-2nd-Amendment pinheads won’t give up.


49 posted on 07/03/2012 9:41:19 PM PDT by hal ogen (First Amendment or Reeducation Camp?)
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To: MasterGunner01

What crap...try to start a fire by shooting. Yet another insipid attempt to give reasons why people shouldn’t have guns. These anti-2nd-Amendment pinheads won’t give up.


50 posted on 07/03/2012 9:41:19 PM PDT by hal ogen (First Amendment or Reeducation Camp?)
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To: mdittmar

It’s not always sparks but the extra heating of the outside of a hot bullet caused by impact. And it’s much more likely in the West. Humidity in plants here now is much lower than humidity in commercial, finished lumber. We’re extremely careful, even with small engines.

That said, lightning probably causes most of the wildfires. Many others are started by all kinds of stupidity (cigarettes tossed wherever, campfires, etc.). Others yet are arson, started by man-haters (e.g., Hayman fire) and other pagans. Only rarely would a bullet hit in thick enough dried grass to cause a fire.

As for the media, the media is sponsored by some of the more pathological people around us, and they have their weird agendas.


51 posted on 07/03/2012 9:43:11 PM PDT by familyop ("Wanna cigarette? You're never too young to start." --Deacon, "Waterworld")
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To: mdittmar

From the article comes this whopper: “Shooting is also believed to have caused fires in Arizona, Nevada and New Mexico.”

“Believed” - as in “I believe in ghosts werewolves, virgins and unicorns.”

I believe this argument is a stealth gun control attempt.

FAIL - EPIC FAIL ! !


52 posted on 07/03/2012 9:51:12 PM PDT by GladesGuru (In a society predicated upon freedom, it is necessary to examine principles."...the public interest)
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To: mdittmar

Did they mention the fire was the result of some idiot firing “Dragon Breath” rounds?
It’s a shotgun round that produces a looongggg tail of fire.
(Utah fire)


53 posted on 07/03/2012 10:02:08 PM PDT by G Larry (I'm under no obligation to be a passive victim!)
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To: mdittmar

Really grasping since their F&F pretext for gutting the 2nd amendment failed.


54 posted on 07/03/2012 10:46:38 PM PDT by Secret Agent Man (I can neither confirm or deny that; even if I could, I couldn't - it's classified.)
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To: RetiredTexasVet
"a pretty common activity in Californicate back in the 70s"

I remember well - and have to agree - torched for insurance - with little doubt!

55 posted on 07/03/2012 11:54:58 PM PDT by Ron C.
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To: FlyVet
"I’ve never heard of a fire caused by shooting in the 15 years I’ve lived here."

Same here - never heard of a fire reliably tagged as 'started from target shooting.'!!

56 posted on 07/03/2012 11:56:53 PM PDT by Ron C.
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To: mdittmar

Reaching! this comes straight out of the enviro nazis handbook, lets start a fire and blame it on handguns, fast and furious didnt work


57 posted on 07/04/2012 3:59:19 AM PDT by ronnie raygun (B B)
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To: mdittmar
This is the universal BS detector and we need to apply it to this case:
HOW DO THEY KNOW THIS??
58 posted on 07/04/2012 8:21:55 PM PDT by BerserkPatriot (Why is the Democratic National Committee waging a War on liberty?)
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To: hal ogen

The only rounds that I know will definitely start fires aren’t Ball ammunition [copper jacket. lead core]; they are tracer and incendiary rounds. They are special purpose and very expensive and are of very limited utility. Not bloody likely for sport shooters.


59 posted on 07/05/2012 1:55:50 AM PDT by MasterGunner01 (11)
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