What is the fire danger of an Estes rocket?

[Irving]

I found an old Estes rocket at my parents house. I think it would be a fun thing to do with my daughter, but not if I'm going to catch the entire county on fire doing it. Anyone know?

[mcantar18c]

I used to play with those all the time when I was a kid. The launch pads have a metal plate at the bottom, so none of the flames actually touch the ground.

[gnihcraes]

They get dang hot and a lot of flame! Still be careful.

It's more fun to tape multiple booster engines together and strap them to a tonka truck in a parking lot and light. I'm not sure why I know anything about this.

[HBARleatherneck]

Irv, we have a whole pile of rockets and engines here at the house. I have been too paranoid to launch them. If I was at a city park with green grass, I wouldnt worry. But, out here I worry.

I put a nice hole in the Federal center post office roof with a multiple stage rocket once. oops.

[alxone]

i keep thinking about trying to use one in a laws tube or something but id have to wait for snow on the ground .

[SSChameleon]

I launched a bunch of them on my family farm in Parker growing up and never had a problem.

However, in highschool my friend set a field on fire with one of them. It wasn't the launch that did it, the rocket was too hot or had a burning ember when it came down in some tall dry grass and it burned from there.

Make sure your base is clear of combustables and you watch where the thing comes down.

[Tim K]

I launched a bunch of them on my family farm in Parker growing up and never had a problem.

However, in highschool my friend set a field on fire with one of them. It wasn't the launch that did it, the rocket was too hot or had a burning ember when it came down in some tall dry grass and it burned from there.

Make sure your base is clear of combustables and you watch where the thing comes down.

The rocket motors have a little back charge that goes off a few seconds after the main burn. Its purpose is to eject the nose cone a parachute. I've had this start the rocket on fire when I used a combustible wadding. If you use proper (non-combustible) wadding, you probably won't have a problem.

I agree that rocket motors attached to toy cars and launched down the neighborhood streets is pretty good fun. In my experience, you'll need one car for each and every motor. And a rake. And a bushel basket.

[BPTactical]

Alpha One Estes rocket / hollow plastic nose cone + black powder + percussion cap + brick wall x 2 12 year olds ÷ whoosh, bang = 2 12 year olds running REALLY fast!

[TFOGGER]

We once burned about 200 square feet of the vacant lot that is now a park at 13th and Carr when I was a kid. We launched the rocket, everybody was looking at it, and when we looked down, the friggin field was on fire. Being 12-13 years old, we didn't have a fire extinguisher, so we stomped, kicked, and beat it out. I still remember trying to explain to my mom why I needed ANOTHER new jeans jacket....

[Hoosier]

Hey Irving you live in Pueblo right? There's a model rocket club here, they meet out on the Beulah Highway, about 10 minutes south of the "South Walmart" at a place called Hudson Ranch. I'm ostensibly a member, but I haven't made a time yet this year to get out there. There was some talk of part of that facility being turned into a 1000m shooting range.

A lot of nice folks, there website is http://www.scronline.net/

For like $3 you can launch rockets all day, use their stands/launchers, and get to talk to people about it, plus see a few larger diameter rockets. In late August they have a large event with quite a few "pretty darn big" rockets. They have a ATV with a water tank and sprayers when there is a risk of fire.

H.