There’s no doubt that the job of forest and park rangers is a thankless one. Don’t feed the wildlife. Put your trash in the trash can. Don’t pose for selfies with a moose. The list goes on and on. But now there’s apparently a new wave of not-too-smart campers, and they’re plaguing Forest Service rangers in Colorado. These dummies want to camp right in the middle of an active fire zone.
Smoke, fire, a wave of not-too-smart campers
It’s spring, and the heart of wildfires turns to thoughts of conquest. To keep these wildfires from—well—running wild, the Forest Service turns to prescribed burns. Light a small, contained fire to clear out dangerous fire fuel to prevent an uncontainable wildfire that can cause serious damage.
That was the plan in the Pike-San Isabel National Forest. The plan was to burn about 536 acres in the Green Mountain-Little Scraggy area, west of Denver. The Forest Service made sure the public got notice of their plans. There would be smoke. And where there’s smoke, there’s fire. And now, where there’s fire, there’s a wave of stupid campers.
Forest Service officials say there’s “considerable recreation activity” taking place right in the area of the prescribed fire. Rangers have found mountain bikers, hikers, and campers right out in their prescribed burn area.
Reminders for “Beavis and Butthead” types
For any “Beavis and Butthead”-type of folks, here’s why camping in a prescribed burn area is NOT a good idea. There are a variety of things to be found in a still-hot burn area. Hot stump holes—think broken and burned legs. Hot spots—think melted tires on your motorhome. Burn equipment—think firefighters might actually need to get to it in a hurry.
The Forest Service makes the plea. Use a little common sense! Stay out of the burn area until it is officially reopened. Smoke and small areas of flame may be out there in the area, as well. Since this is a prescribed fire, please don’t tie up emergency service lines reporting to 911 about things officials already know.
And if you need a spot to stay up in the Pike-San Isabel National Forest, here’s a tip. Don’t join the new wave of stupid campers. Set your GPS not for the prescribed burn area but to the west of Shinglemill Trailhead. There are plenty of places where you can hike, trailbike, and camp outside of the burn area.
##RVT1161b
Maybe the Park Service should just forgo the rules about warning people and let Natural Stupidity work things out. There is far too much of this sort of thing on the go here in Canada as well.
People think the rules don’t apply to them and that it won’t happen to them anyway, so why not…….just camp here; just drive like an idiot, just eat the pods. Darn, but people are really stupid. So again I say, let the law of nature take over and let Natural Stupidity work these things out.
I couldn’t have said it any better Nels. Unfortunately innocent people, animals, and in general nature, may be harmed by the idiots actions. So someone does need to watch over and out for them
Don’t care to watch over or out for “self absorbed A..holes”. It’s not that they don’t know better; it’s that they don’t care. It’s all about them doing or getting what they want, when they want it as they want it. We really do need to “cull the herd”.
I like to think that others my be watching my back for me in case there are those idiots nearby that I’m unaware of.
It’s called “situational awareness” which is what I learned from days as a bonded messenger for my family’s business. I also believe in “see something- say something” and would report it to an appropriate authority to get them “busted”.
Agreed
Thank you, Russ and Tina! 🙂 Geez! We had a little saying when I was in school that seems to apply perfectly to this behavior: Think, MUCH (said with both increasing sarcastic derision and volume and accompanied by a look of complete scorn)?!?!? Thanks again and safe travels! 🙂
A lot people don’t have common sense anymore.
Some people just can’t be eradicated of stupidity. Let mother nature cleanse the gene pool…
The Forest Service says to use common sense. We’d have to roll the clock back to the 60’s to find people with common sense.