Tracer ammo & fires?

[fishing4sanity]

Today we had a small range fire, some people were on the neighbor's property and claim the tracer ammo they were shooting started the fire. Unfortunately the small draw that comes down into our place burned, in the past it has been a good location for pheasants and huns and occasionally used by deer. It even damaged the trees in the bottom, okay so all you Rocky Mountain states guys would call them scrawny bushes at best, but trees are pretty rare around here. It was hot nasty work trying to shovel out all that cheat grass, so I'm counting that as my exercise for the day. I've never used tracer ammo before, not sure I want to now. I've heard that tracer rounds can start fires, but it may have been something else they were doing as well. What do you think, can tracer ammo start fires?

 

[LazyV]

Yes it can, we burned a range in Korea to the ground from a fire started by 9mm tracer ammo.

 

[Straight Arrow]

YES!
Tracers are great for military use. If you wannabe military ... join up and serve.

If you want to be stupid and start fires in the dry conditions across the west, then tracers will allow it.

My opinion, VietNam vet and military guy with 30 years duty, US Army and Montana Army Guard.

 

[rhomas]

This is interesting to hear. I've never shot any tracer rounds before, but during the recent ammo shortages I did purchase a few 5.56 tracer rounds. I've loaded them in my 30 round magazines, but alternately with regular rounds by 5 regular rounds, then 1 tracer. Is the potential still there, or is it when there is a continuous magazine load of tracer ammo being fired that creates the problem?

 

[utah400elk]

Last year there was a large fire started in the snowie range in Wyoming by Tracer ammo. The guys who started the fire should be charged. They set a fire with the first tracer round they shot and put that fire out. They then started shooting again and started the big fire. Well over $1,000,000 damage and a few homes lost. I think they should have known the potential after the first fire but they kept going.

 

[Straight Arrow]

With an automatic weapon, typically it's a tracer every ten rounds and, of course they are fired more rapidly, but the fact is they are so hot all it takes is one round to ignite whatever flammable material with which it comes in contact. The story above attests to that.

 

[DRAFTSTUD]

Sorry to see and hear about that. We have an area where we shoot up at the lease and Tracers are forbidden. John

 

[BiggWimm]

Tracer rounds can. So can Tannerite (I think that is how it is spelled) targets, the exploding targets.

 

[whit]

Sorry to see, I was working in Dallas Tx. in the spring of this year and some one was shooting tracers at a indoor range and it burned to the ground and the wall fell in.Hate to say this but as hunters and shooters we need to stop and think before we play with things like that.

 

[Topgun 30-06]

IMHO there is no reason for the public to even have tracers in their possesssion because of the extreme possibility of their misuse.

 

[chuckyd313]

I shot an old matress in the desert and it went up in flames. My buddy didnt pay attention to the ammo he was loading.

 

[SFC B]

We end up having to supply Joe's for fire fighting details on the ranges every year to fight the fires and keep them contained. Like was said above, I really don't see the reason for shooting them in a civilian setting. The risk just seems to be way to high.

 

[jryoung]

Look at the bright side maybe you can get in there and plant some native grass before the cheat grass comes back.

 

[jryoung]

Look at the bright side maybe you can get in there and plant some native grass before the cheat grass comes back.

 

[noharleyyet]

Pretty stoopid to mess with stuff like that with dry tender everywhere. Inexcusable.

 

[pointingdogsrule]

The way I shot those falling clays in sporting clays yesterday, I need some tracers.

good luck to all
the dog

 

[Zach]

For sure tracers can start a fire. But then according to the state of CA, Lead bullets can too...

We end up having to supply Joe's for fire fighting details on the ranges every year to fight the fires and keep them contained. Like was said above, I really don't see the reason for shooting them in a civilian setting. The risk just seems to be way to high.

Not to start another debate but this sounds just like the government speaking. There is a responsibility with every weapon.

 

[Straight Arrow]

...this sounds just like the government speaking...

This smacks of anti-govment rhetoric. Open up Civics 101 and see what entities are included in the definition of government of our nation.

When the USFS and BLM agencies publicize messages encouraging you to extinguish your campfire until cold before leaving your campsite, is that the evil guvment taking away your rights and responsibilities .... or merely encouraging you to behave safely?

 

[rhomas]

Thanks for the info on tracers. I will state that my shooting range is on my own property and I have a big dirt berm as a backdrop, so I won't be shooting any of those rounds on public lands (which I don't even hunt on, much less target practice at). I also have access to plenty of water near my range, and an open field behind it, so no danger of shooting into my planted pines. Thankfully, we aren't as dry down here as is the apparent situation out West. After learning of the potential, I will exercise more caution than what I had previously anticipated when I do shoot those magazines that have the tracer rounds loaded in them.

 

[Zach]

This smacks of anti-govment rhetoric. Open up Civics 101 and see what entities are included in the definition of government of our nation.

When the USFS and BLM agencies publicize messages encouraging you to extinguish your campfire until cold before leaving your campsite, is that the evil guvment taking away your rights and responsibilities .... or merely encouraging you to behave safely?

You make my point. They don't take away your campfire, they ask you to be Responsible. Not everyone does, so should we take away campfires?:W: