[Az-Geocaching] Forest Fire and Ammo Can Concern

Mon, 27 May 2002 16:12:15 -0700

Andrew, et. al.,

I wouldn't go in to a burn area to rescue a cache.

If my duties take me near the cache, then I might try to find it, if I had 
time, if it was near my destination, if the area wasn't to hot, etc, etc.

I never know when the call will come that will take me to the fire line, 
fire camp, or nearby in support of the operations section.  If the 
opportunity presents itself, I'll take advantage of it.  I consider myself 
lucky that I can combine geocaching with my job.  I do wonder, if I found a 
cache that is in an area closed to the public, can I still count it as a 
find?

--Fred
Team Boulder Creek

>From: "Andrew Ayre" <andy@britishideas.com>
>Reply-To: listserv@azgeocaching.com
>To: <listserv@azgeocaching.com>
>Subject: RE: [Az-Geocaching] Forest Fire and Ammo Can Concern
>Date: Mon, 27 May 2002 13:28:46 -0700
>
>Hi Fred,
>
>Thanks for that info.
>
>I hope things get better for you, but please don't try to find the cache if
>the only reason is to rescue it - its contents are insignificant compared 
>to
>the lives of firefighters and your life and its not worth the risk just for
>the contents or can. If it gets burned up it gets burned up, if it survives
>it survives - as long as it doesn't injure someone. I'll try and check on 
>it
>when the area is opened to the public again.
>
>Thanks to everyone else who replied.
>
>Andy
>
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: az-geocaching-admin@listserv.azgeocaching.com
>[mailto:az-geocaching-admin@listserv.azgeocaching.com]On Behalf Of Fred
>Coe
>Sent: Monday, May 27, 2002 1:06 PM
>To: listserv@azgeocaching.com; az-geocaching@listserv.azgeocaching.com
>Subject: Re: [Az-Geocaching] Forest Fire and Ammo Can Concern
>
>
>
>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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> >http://www.azgeocaching.com
>
>
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