To: ALL MEDIA
For immediate release

May 22, 2017

For more information contact:

Bill Brassard
203-426-1320

With New Infographic, NSSF Reminds Shooters to Take Precautions Against Starting Wildfires

NEWTOWN, Conn. — Wildfires have many causes, and with a new infographic the National Shooting Sports Foundation® (NSSF®) is urging shooters and hunters to not be one of them.

The colorful infographic contains sobering facts about the scale and costs of wildfires, noting that 90 percent of all wildfires are human-caused — some 62,000 wildfires annually. Wildfires threaten animal and human life, and burn millions of acres land. Suppressing wildfires is dangerous work, with wildfire-fighting costs soaring in recent years until they now amount to about $2 billion annually. Wildfires are mostly associated with the arid landscapes of the West, but as the infographic points out, the southern part of the United States has a large number as well.

The infographic reminds shooters and all outdoor recreationists to be mindful of their surroundings and actions to avoid being the cause of a wildfire. Precautions include:

• Being aware of restrictions on shooting and other activities in fire-prone areas.
• Not using tracer rounds, exploding targets and ammunition that is steel-jacketed or contains steel-core components.
• Knowing that a vehicle’s hot exhaust systems can ignite dry vegetation.
• Making sure all campfires are properly extinguished.

In addition to the new infographic, NSSF also makes available other shareable wildfire prevention resources, including a 30-second audio public service announcement on wildfire prevention. “Planning to head outdoors today? The National Shooting Sports Foundation reminds you to check the fire danger levels in your area … and to take precautions,” says the PSA.

NSSF asks shooting ranges, firearms retailers, target shooters and hunters to share this fire-prevention infographic with others in the outdoors community by displaying it at shooting ranges, firearms retail shops and outdoor-equipment stores, as well as sharing on websites, blogs and social media sites.

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About NSSF
The National Shooting Sports Foundation is the trade association for the firearms industry. Its mission is to promote, protect and preserve hunting and the shooting sports. Formed in 1961, NSSF has a membership of more than 12,000 manufacturers, distributors, firearms retailers, shooting ranges, sportsmen’s organizations and publishers. For more information, visit www.nssf.org.