[Az-Geocaching] Forest Fire and Ammo Can Concern

[Fred Coe]

Andrew and the group,

I wouldn't worry about it for several reasons:

1)  I doubt the ammo can would explode (unless there is something other than 
the usual cache items inside).  The first thing to melt would be the gasket, 
then any built up overpressure from the heat would vent.  Depending on the 
proximity of heavier fuels than the pine needles you describe, all that 
might be left would be a 'slab of slag'.

2) Even if the can or something in it were to explode a fire fighter would 
have to be close enough to be affected.  More pertainet is, "How close is 
the cache to the fireline?"  Since I maybe getting a GIS file on some of 
that stuff pretty soon, I'll check.

3) All sorts of things explode in a wildfire.  Aerisol cans are perhaps the 
biggest danger (yea, you find them, like empty beer cans almost everywhere, 
but rocks (yes, rocks!), pine cones, and even whole trees can explode in 
intense fire activity.  Tires still mounted on rims and holding air are very 
explosive, and commonly found abandoned in backcountry areas.  All wildland 
firefighters are aware of these hazards.  If your cache is seen by 
firefighters, it would probably be given a pretty wide berth, just to be on 
the safe side.

4) Inspite of what I've just said, any item that may explode in a wildfire 
is still pretty low on the things to watch out for.  Most injuries come from 
walking on uneven ground.  Most serious injuries come from rolling/falling 
objects (i.e. boulders and trees).  While not classified as an injury, heat 
stress is by far the most common ailment.

So far, it hasn't been a good fire for me.  I put up one of the national 
radio cache (not to be confused with a geocache <grin>) repeaters in a 'safe 
area' and it is now carbonized.  One of my CNF repeater sites is mildly 
threatened - Mt. Bigelow, but since it is surrounded by five TV towers and 
transmitters I suspect it will be protected. The Mule Mtn repeater decided 
to pick yesterday to act up. And if that weren't enough I got a flat in my 
service truck, and while changing the tire got a severe sprain of my right 
wrist/thumb.  Oh, well, at least my wife got a job...

If/When I'm sent back to fire camp/Mt. Lemmon/fire line, I'll try to find 
your cache.

>From my airconditioned shop at TIA,

--Fred
Team Boulder Creek
CNF Radio System Manager

>From: "Andrew Ayre" <aayre@esacademy.com>
>Reply-To: listserv@azgeocaching.com
>To: <az-geocaching@listserv.azgeocaching.com>
>Subject: [Az-Geocaching] Forest Fire and Ammo Can Concern
>Date: Mon, 27 May 2002 08:03:43 -0700
>
>Hi,
>
>Our recently placed Hollywood Arizona cache
>
>http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.asp?ID=22537
>
>appears to be in the Bullock fire's path. I am getting concerned what the
>fire will do to the ammo can. I would hate for it to explode and injure a
>firefighter. I did a search on geocaching.com about this and noone else
>appears to have ever mentioned such a concern. We did not place anything in
>the cache that explodes, and from reading the logs of two people who have
>visited it, neither did they. It is buried under a pile of rocks in an area
>with not much vegetation, i.e. rocks and I think fallen pine needles.
>Am I overreacting? Everyone else I ask says I am.
>
>Groover
>
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