OLYMPIA — Target shooting has been temporarily banned on all Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife lands statewide to prevent wildfires.
The Department of Natural Resources also announced target shooting restrictions for DNR-managed lands across the state on Aug. 15.
This ban applies to the about one million acres of land managed by WDFW, including wildlife areas and water access areas throughout the state. The temporary rule does not restrict legal hunting.
The restrictions will remain in place until the risk of wildfires goes down.
WDFW says shooting guns poses a greater risk of fires as bullets pass through rotted wood, cause sparks when they hit rocks or break into fragments in dry grass. Fires can ignite even after a shooter has left an area.
Fire danger on most of Eastern Washington is rated as "high" or "extremely high". Many counties in Western Washington are also at a "high" fire danger level.
People should check for burn bans in their areas on DNR’s website.