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HAMILTON, Montana — Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks officials say a wildfire that displaced two mountain lion cubs in August was caused by a target shooter who detonated an exploding target in a state wildlife management area.
The Ravalli Republic (http://bit.ly/1t848JM) reported that the 50-acre fire started in an area of waist-high grass east of Florence in the Sapphire Mountains.
U.S. Forest Service and local volunteer firefighters suppressed the fire with help from helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft at a cost of about $94,000.
No one has been cited for the fire and the investigation continues.
Two male mountain lion cubs thought to be just a few weeks old received national attention after they were rescued by firefighters working on the blaze. The cubs, named Lewis and Clark, have since been moved to a zoo in Ohio.
The Forest Service's Northern Region prohibited the use of exploding targets on national forest lands in May. At the time, the agency said exploding targets had caused at least 16 wildfires in Western states that cost taxpayers more than $33 million.
Those using an exploding target on national forest lands could be fined up to $5,000 and imprisoned for up to six months.
No law specifically regulates the use of exploding targets on state lands.
Paul Moore, Hamilton unit manager for the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, said exploding target use is a fairly new activity on public lands, but it is an issue the state likely will have to address.
"Right now, it's more of a fire-related issue for us," Moore said. "If fire restrictions are in place, it would be a violation to set one off."
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