Off Road Riders Asked to Be Extra Careful

Tuesday, June 09, 2009 01:50 PM

Prince George, B.C.- As all terrain vehicle (ATV) users across the region enjoy the summer weather, the Prince George Fire Centre is calling on back-country riders to remain vigilant for wildfires.

ATV and motorcycle exhaust systems produce extreme heat, which can ignite bush fires.

ATV riders are urged to be extra cautious when riding in tall grass or on sawdust piles.

Due to the increased risk of wildfire in north-eastern British Columbia, please follow the following precautions when riding on back roads in forested areas:

Use caution when operating these vehicles

Never park motorcycles or ATVs on grass or areas where the exhaust system is close to combustibles

Use an approved spark arrester on the exhaust system

Take all appropriate precautions with any other heat sources such as campfires or smoking materials

The fire danger rating is currently high throughout most of the Prince George Fire Centre. The current warm and dry weather is forecast to continue through the weekend.

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Posted on Tuesday, June 09, 2009 01:50 PM in News by 250 News

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Comments

Posted by: Eagleone on June 10 2009 5:25 AM

I've never heard of this happening before... good to know I guess. I'm more worried about some of the mill hot spots and their vigilance to keep those places weted down and response on the ready. We lost NCP last year this time and losing another would be a huge blow.

Posted by: metalman on June 10 2009 4:32 PM

So, if any of you riders out there are reading this instead of wrenching and riding your iron and plastic steeds, please do not remove the spark arrestor from your exhaust system. More noise does not mean more power, and when your exhaust system gets really hot, flakes of carbon can be cooked loose from the inner walls of the pipe, muffler or expansion chamber, and without the spark arrestor, these red hot flakes are discharged into the atmosphere, and can easily ignite dry grass or forest duff. Smoky the bare arsed rider says: "only you can prevent fires"
metalman.