Fire crews say the nearly 300-acre Pyramid Fire, near Sutcliffe is now 100% contained. Investigators say target shooters started the fire around 2 p.m. on Friday.
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) says the fire was started by target shooters who fled the area with reporting the fire. The fire is located approximately two miles north of Mullen Pass and north of Reno in the Painted Hills Range. No structures were threatened.
In a press release, the BLM spoke about the numerous fires started by target shooting in the west over the past few years. "Awareness that wildfires can occur from shooting is the most important thing, " Shane McDonald, Interagency Fire Management Officer stated. "If people are ware that it can happen, we hope they will make safer choices.
Anyone with information about this fire or the individual(s) who may be responsible, please contact the BLM at (775) 885-6117.
The BLM released the following safety tips to prevent wildfires while target shooting:
- Bring a container of water. This may seem obvious, but shooters often fail to bring enough water to put a fire out. A five gallon bucket of water readily available while shooting could prevent a disaster if a fire does start.
- Bring a shovel. Use the shovel to dig a trench around your targets before shooting to ensure that any fire caused by sparks can be easily contained.
- Shoot at quality steel targets designed to minimize risks to both the shooter and the environment. Refrain from shooting steel targets during hot, dry and windy conditions.
- Place your targets on dirt or gravel areas clear of vegetation. Placing a target in dry grass increases the risk of fire.
- Don’t shoot trash and remove your spent cartridges. Trash like old couches and TVs can often be found illegally dumped on public land but can be dangerous fire hazards when shot.
- Be aware that all types of ammunition can start fires under the right conditions especially steel core ammunition. To avoid a chance of sparking, do not use steel core ammunition and always avoid shooting in rocky areas.
- Don’t use exploding targets.
- Don’t smoke. Even if you’re following all safety precautions in regard to shooting, you can still easily start a wildfire by smoking. If you’re shooting in a dry location, make sure that all cigarette butts are properly extinguished or avoid smoking at all.
- Park your vehicle away from dry grass. Wildfires have been started by vehicles parked in dry grass. While it may not seem like a hazard, the hot undercarriage of a car or truck can easily create enough heat to ignite the grass.
- Please shoot responsibly, clean up after shooting and Tread Lightly on public land.
