Restitution ordered after target-shooting sparks wildfire

Five target shooters who sparked a 38-acre wildfire near Alfalfa in 2012 were ordered earlier this year to pay more than $17,000 in restitution to the Bureau of Land Management for firefighting costs, the agency revealed Tuesday.

The Prineville District of the BLM was awarded restitution on June 9th of $17,569.34 from the five individuals convicted of reckless burning as a violation, the agency said.

After an initial investigation, five men were cited into court for reckless burning, a Class A misdemeanor. They were identified as Redmond residents Peter Lee, then 31, and Clarence Christy, 32, and Bend residents Albert Sears, 27; William Loving, 25; and Jordon Odell, 25, said Deschutes County sheriff’s Sgt. Vance Lawrence.

Under an agreement reached between attorneys for the BLM and the the defendants, they pleaded no contest to starting the 38-acre Mayfield Pond wildfire east of Bend on August 19, 2012, the agency said.

They were shooting at Tannerite, the trademark name for a binary exploding target. The resulting wildfire required several engines, helicopter bucket drops, fire retardant drops, heavy equipment and numerous firefighters to suppress before it spread to homes. The cost to the BLM for the fire was almost $88,000.

At the time of the fire, BLM-administered lands in Oregon and Washington were under a Fire Prevention Order that banned the use of all fireworks and exploding targets.

The BLM said the men admitted to purchasing 50 pounds of Tannerite and had used all but five pounds at the time of the incident.

They had shot about a dozen containers of Tannerite and were placing their targets in a western juniper tree, which ultimately exploded when the Tannerite was detonated.

The BLM said the target shooters also did not follow the recommendations of the Tannerite Company, which recommends using no more than a half-pound of the mixed composition at one time.

The Oregon State Police Explosives unit had to respond to the incident to detonate the mixed but unused portion of Tannerite, which cannot be safely transported once the two chemicals are combined.

Under the agreement, the men were given six months to pay the restitution, a period that ends in early December, said BLM Public Affairs Officer Lisa Clark.

Exploding targets generally consist of two or more separate chemicals that when mixed become an explosive designed to produce a visual and audible display when detonated by the shock of a bullet strike.

When detonated, the targets can result in a fireball, igniting grasses, pine needles and other combustible material.

Although thereisn’ta single data system for documenting exploding targets as acause of wildfire on public lands, the Forest Service has identified at least five wildfires on National Forest lands since 2012, caused by exploding targets and resulting in more than 15,000 acres burned and about $30 million in suppression costs.

“The BLM would like to remind everyone to target shoot responsibly, including obeying all fire prevention orders, shooting in areas where that type of use is allowed, and using a backdrop such as a dirt berm,” the agency said in a news release.

Shooting trees, signs and buildings is considered damaging government property and is punishable by law.

Exploding targets, even when used in amounts recommended by a manufacturer, can cause resource damage and can result in citations for damage to public property.

Proper and authorized use extends to users bringing their own targets, shooting in areas where natural resource damage will not occur, and cleaning up thoroughly after shooting.

“The debris and damage left by people who do not shoot responsibly diminishes the experience of other people seeking to enjoy public lands and uses tax dollars to repair,” the BLM said