Shooter started fire on range

[BushMasterBoy]

Last night driving back from the mining claim on Highway 50, I could see smoke coming from the north. Other news links, claim it was started by a shooter using metal targets. This is a professionally managed shooting range and they still managed to start a huge fire. Be extremely cautious shooting in these prevailing drought and weather conditions.




http://www.krdo.com/news/crews-respo...plex/726772352

http://www.kktv.com/content/news/Fir...479091413.html

[CHA-LEE]

But steel core ammo is cheaper, how could it cause any problems???..................

[J]

Yeah. Not worth the risk. I spend a little more and shoot only tracers.

[Tim K]

I started some tall dry grass smoldering by shooting unjacketed lead pistol bullets at steel. We could smell the smoke but couldn't ever quite locate the exact source. We stayed there for an hour, fire extinguisher in hand until we were certain it had gone out by itself.

[ben4372]

I'm always curious as to how this happens. I've seen tracer start fires a bunch at machine gun shoots. I get steel on steel might spark. I just don't know how regular non sparking lead, brass copper can do this. Does anyone have video on this happening? Mythbusters tried to ignite propane and failed. Most know why it didn't work. I find it takes a few tries using a fire steel just inches from flammables to make anything happen. And that is a shower of sparks. For me, this is in the same category as sparks from a dirt bike with no spark arrestor. Not saying it cant or doesn't happen, I just cant figure the how. This is helpful but still a reach for my simple mind.https://www.fs.fed.us/rm/pubs/rmrs_rp104.pdf

[Wulf202]

friction causes heat. Heat + fuel + air make fire.

[earplug]

I have seen many rounds creat sparks hitting a steel back stop at a indoor range.

[BushMasterBoy]

I am speculating it is the tumbleweeds that are the initial fuel for the fires in this area. The study below states that steel core and copper bullets are the main culprits and they used peat as the ignition medium.


https://www.fs.fed.us/rm/pubs/rmrs_rp104.pdf

[Gman]

Compressing anything, including air, generates heat. You can imagine what happens when lead or copper has a lot of kinetic energy rapidly deforming the malleable metals as the bullet is compressed against something hard.

PDF:A Study of Ignition by Rifle Bullets - National Forest Service


There's a graph in there that shows as velocities increase the deformation of the bullet exceeds the melting point of lead.

[CS1983]

My son was very excited to see the firetrucks and such as we exited to get on 25 South. Had my wife record a video, but the video came out sideways.