DesNews says only shoot at a professional range or don't shoot at all
Read especially the last few paragraphs of this editorial.
So now, in the name of fire prevention the anti-gun DesNews editorializes
against all shooting except at a professional range. Simply taking prudent
measures to avoid causing a fire is not sufficient for them. No bets on
whether they'd support a few public ranges or even easing the zoning for
private ranges.
Letters to the editor of the DesNews can be sent to <letters@d...>.
Letters must include a full name, address, city and telephone number.
==================
http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,510040052,00.html
Fire a reminder to developers
Deseret Morning News editorial
Drivers along I-15 in Davis County can now clearly see the ring of black,
charred earth that hangs like a shroud on the mountainside above Farmington.
They also can see where the ring ends, just to the east of houses and
neighborhoods.
Fortunately, no house was burned. As of Monday the fire was 50 percent
contained and not expected to threaten homes. That's due to a combination of
good firefighting and favorable conditions — and to the fact no homes exist
higher up the mountainside.
This fire should be a warning to anyone planning to build higher than
anyone has gone before in any spot along the Wasatch Front — a popular notion
among some developers.
Fires can happen anywhere. On days like these, with temperatures rising
to 100 degrees or more, tinder-dry vegetation is ready to burst at the
slightest spark. But the hillsides, with mountainous and difficult terrain
nearby, are particularly vulnerable and dangerous.
Hillside homes are hazards for fires during hot, dry summers and for
landslides during rainy periods. They could fall over in an earthquake. In
addition, they mar the beauty of the mountains for everyone else who lives in
the valley.
Davis County, including Farmington, is undergoing a planning process that
ultimately could protect its hillsides from development. In Salt Lake and Utah
counties, however, policies vary from city to city, and often they allow for
developers to keep testing new heights.
Simply put, this is crazy.
Mountainside homeowners don't have to worry simply about the odd
lightning strike. They have to contend with the stupidity of man, which seems
to be in abundant supply.
Another wildfire started because people were shooting at targets outside
of Saratoga Springs. Apparently, they tried to put out the fire, but it spread
too quickly. A BLM official suggested shooters look for areas with little
vegetation and that they bring fire extinguishers with them. We have a better
solution. Go to a professional firing range, or don't shoot at all.
Officials say target shooters start a fire a week on average during hot
summer months in Utah. Generally, they don't shoot in the valleys. They shoot
in the mountains, where they stand less chance of hitting people.
Mountain fires aren't new here. The first recorded wildfire near
present-day Farmington was in 1846, a full year before Mormon pioneers entered
Utah. By now, everyone should have learned. Don't build houses where it's most
difficult to pump water and douse a blaze
Read especially the last few paragraphs of this editorial.
So now, in the name of fire prevention the anti-gun DesNews editorializes
against all shooting except at a professional range. Simply taking prudent
measures to avoid causing a fire is not sufficient for them. No bets on
whether they'd support a few public ranges or even easing the zoning for
private ranges.
Letters to the editor of the DesNews can be sent to <letters@d...>.
Letters must include a full name, address, city and telephone number.
==================
http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,510040052,00.html
Fire a reminder to developers
Deseret Morning News editorial
Drivers along I-15 in Davis County can now clearly see the ring of black,
charred earth that hangs like a shroud on the mountainside above Farmington.
They also can see where the ring ends, just to the east of houses and
neighborhoods.
Fortunately, no house was burned. As of Monday the fire was 50 percent
contained and not expected to threaten homes. That's due to a combination of
good firefighting and favorable conditions — and to the fact no homes exist
higher up the mountainside.
This fire should be a warning to anyone planning to build higher than
anyone has gone before in any spot along the Wasatch Front — a popular notion
among some developers.
Fires can happen anywhere. On days like these, with temperatures rising
to 100 degrees or more, tinder-dry vegetation is ready to burst at the
slightest spark. But the hillsides, with mountainous and difficult terrain
nearby, are particularly vulnerable and dangerous.
Hillside homes are hazards for fires during hot, dry summers and for
landslides during rainy periods. They could fall over in an earthquake. In
addition, they mar the beauty of the mountains for everyone else who lives in
the valley.
Davis County, including Farmington, is undergoing a planning process that
ultimately could protect its hillsides from development. In Salt Lake and Utah
counties, however, policies vary from city to city, and often they allow for
developers to keep testing new heights.
Simply put, this is crazy.
Mountainside homeowners don't have to worry simply about the odd
lightning strike. They have to contend with the stupidity of man, which seems
to be in abundant supply.
Another wildfire started because people were shooting at targets outside
of Saratoga Springs. Apparently, they tried to put out the fire, but it spread
too quickly. A BLM official suggested shooters look for areas with little
vegetation and that they bring fire extinguishers with them. We have a better
solution. Go to a professional firing range, or don't shoot at all.
Officials say target shooters start a fire a week on average during hot
summer months in Utah. Generally, they don't shoot in the valleys. They shoot
in the mountains, where they stand less chance of hitting people.
Mountain fires aren't new here. The first recorded wildfire near
present-day Farmington was in 1846, a full year before Mormon pioneers entered
Utah. By now, everyone should have learned. Don't build houses where it's most
difficult to pump water and douse a blaze
