There seems to be growing concern about ATV's starting forest fires. During the past month in Texas I kept seeing a TV commercial showing a dorky babe on a mountain bike preaching to two ATV'er about how their machines could start forest fires. Here in NW Wisconsin, all the trails are closed until Memorial Day because of so called fire danger. I know there was a major forest fire a few years ago in Washington started by a kid who had taken the spark arrester off of his machine, presumably so he could make more noise.

That was one incident. Have there been any other forest fires caused by ATV's. I'm also wondering--don't all ATV's have spark arresters?

 

In WI, All atv's must have a USFS approved spark arrestor muffler.

 

Yes all ATV's have spark arrestors from the factory and to say ATV's start forest fires is ludicrous, that would be like saying chain saws start forest fires LOL. Of corse with the right idiot who removes his spark arrestor I guess anything is possabile.

 

Agreed, modern spark arrestor exhaust systems will not start a fire. All manufacturers must sell with a USFS approved spark arrestor on their new quads.

 

Anyone that removes their spark arrestor in a dry flammable environment is an inconsiderate idiot who has no regard for other people's property or the lives of people and or wildlife. Millions of dollars worth of damage can result from a careless act like that! We all need to respect the places we ride in and report those that don't!

 

Agreed. I don't think many of these fools even know what a spark arrestor is. They're given too much credit by considering them inconsiderate. The term retard comes to mind. They remove / replace the entire exhaust system and make the loudest and most annoying machine possible.....But it's "cool" man.

 

I guess if you watch the news, you know about So. Calif. and fires!!! I do know of times when a fire was started by someone illegally riding without a spark arrestor, but I do not ever recall a fire started by a quad or bike with a proper exhaust. Mostly, those ads are just another form of anti-OHV propaganda!

I hate to see these MX dirt bikes come out without spark arrestors. Every bike should have one from the factory, and then if the owner needs to remove it for closed course riding, then fine....but you know some kid is going to ignore the fact that they have no arrestors and go ride in the hills anyway. (Some tracks here, have spark arrestor requirements, becasue of all the brush around the track.)

 

I think I'd be more worried about someone tossing out a lit cigarette than an atv starting a fire.

But like Recon said, it's propaganda.

 

I think the likelihood of an ATV, the machine iteself, starting a fire is pretty slim certainly no more likely than any other gas powered machine, actually probably less likely than say a chainsaw. Of course it has happened before and we all know how things get blown out of proportion. The problem is people throwing cigarett butts or riding the machine improperly, I could see how off roading through a field or marsh this time of year could start a fire because of the tinder dry grasses.

Around here the biggest problem for fires in the spring are the trains, there are times when a single train has started dozens of fires along miles of tracks but you dont see anyone calling to ban trains in fire season.