Here's one small item that shows state officials are worried about wildfires. The Department of Natural Resources says people may, temporarily, no longer use two of its properties in Stevens County as shooting ranges. They're worried shooters could spark fires in the dry conditions there.
In an interview earlier this week, Stevens County Fire District 1 Chief Mike Bucy said it takes very little in the current dry conditions to start a fire.
“When the bullets hit any kind of stone it can cause a spark and any kind of spark in a very dry environment can start a fire. Hot shell casings as they fall into the light flashy fuels that we have been experiencing for the last few months, dead grasses, duff, that kind of thing, it can start a fire as well.”
Three fires have started at the Boggs Pit area near Loon Lake and another at the Stonelodge shooting area. The biggest of those was about 2 acres.
According to a news release from the Department of Natural Resources, the Boggs Pit area and the Stonelodge area will be closed to shooting from Saturday until further notice due to the recent fires. They will be re-opened to shooting once the fire danger has receded.
