UKIAH >> The Cow Mountain recreation areas in Ukiah are under an “unusual” fire restriction — including the gun range — until temperatures cool, following a fire that sparked there last month.
The Range Fire, spreading to 20 acres of vegetation near the gun range, was caused by target shooting, Cal Fire reported. Diverting resources from the larger Grade Fire, a 900-acre fire in the hills northwest of Redwood Valley that started the day before, the Range Fire took three days to contain.
“As a result of (the Range Fire), we’re a little more cautious,” according to Fred Wong with the Bureau of Land Management, who called the restriction unusual.
He said the Range Fire was the first one at the range caused by shooting in a long time. Under the restriction, no shooting is allowed even in designated areas, nor are open campfires.
Rangers regularly patrol the gun range and campsites and do a little cleaning up, Wong said, but there is no constant supervision. About once every two years, a sweep is done with volunteers, picking up empty shells and making sure the area is safe.
“It’s a big effort to clean up that area,” said Wong.
Access to the shooting range is free, and there is usually plenty of activity there on the weekends.
