County fire chief recommends temporary moratorium on long‑range rifle use at Morgan gun range amid high fire risk

Dave, Morgan County’s fire chief, told commissioners on July 15 that this season’s fire behavior and an inspection of the county gun range prompted a safety recommendation: temporarily ban long‑range, high‑power rifle shooting while fire restrictions and extreme fire conditions are in effect. He said the range’s backstops and berms were overgrown, rocky and not constructed to contain higher‑velocity rifle rounds, and that a bolt or jacketed bullet striking rock and sparking vegetation was plausible. Nut graf: Chief Dave showed photos of berms and vegetation behind rifle backstops, outlined recent increases in area fire activity compared with last year and recommended a moratorium on high‑power rifle shooting through the worst of the season, with a re‑evaluation in September or October. He said the pistol and shotgun portions did not present the same level of concern. Chief Dave said the county used a dozer to improve a fire break but that the existing berms still contain vegetation and exposed rocks. He recommended either a temporary closure of long‑range rifle firing until the end of the fire season, or a longer‑term reconstruction of the rifle range to modern specifications: leveled firing positions, engineered berms, cleared and maintained backstops, and recorded rules about ammunition (no steel‑tipped/steel‑core targets) and monitoring. Commissioners asked about the length of the moratorium, range redesign costs and whether people would simply shoot off‑site; Chief Dave said the 2021 moratorium ran through the summer and the most defensible immediate action would be to ban long‑range rifle use while fire restrictions remain in force and to pursue capital improvements for a safer, confined rifle corridor. Commissioners asked public works about short‑term work to improve the berm and fire breaks; staff said some dozer work had been completed and offered to plan further mitigation. No formal motion to close the range was made at the meeting; commissioners asked staff to return with options and costs. Ending: The commission directed staff to study short‑term mitigation and to return with recommendations; Chief Dave said he would prefer a temporary closure through the peak fire season if adequate mitigation is not in place.