Wildfires aren’t always caused by people. Sometimes Mother Nature herself starts the blazes. And nature plays a part in all of them, even those caused by humans. It’s dry out there. Keep that in mind while you’re up in elk camp or out for a deer hunt.
Be aware of where you’re parking your truck or ATV. Don’t park it in tall, dry grass. The heat from your tailpipe, especially before you shut it off or when you start it up again, can ignite those dry grasses. And fire can spread very quickly in that dry grass.
Make sure your campfire’s completely out and cool to the touch before you leave it, too. Even in a fire ring, a spark from a campfire you thought was out can jump out into the grasses you were standing on, and the heat from the fire will have dried those grasses even more than they were when you got there.
And heed the fire restrictions. If there are bans on open fires, obey them. It’s not only important for the forest, but also for your bank account. If you start a forest fire, especially if you do so while ignoring fire restrictions, you could be on the hook for the cost of putting the blaze out.
If you want to help the folks who are pitching in to put out the Elk Fire, or those who are helping people impacted take care of their livestock and other belongings, consider donating to the GoFundMe account organized by singer and songwriter Ian Munsick. He got it started with $30,000 of his own dollars.
It sounds like they’re making progress on getting the Elk Fire put out, but it’ll still take time to get it shut down completely. So be careful while you’re out hunting this year. Do what you can to prevent another blaze from getting started.
