Critics: Lead Bullet Ban in Calif. Could Lead to More Wildfires

More Rim Fires could come because of a ban on... lead bullets?

More forests could burn down in spectacular conflagarations like the Rim Fire, some are warning -- and because of an unlikely cause: Bullets.

A proposed ban on lead bullets used by California hunters could lead to more wildfires, according to the Daily Caller.

The libertarian news website calls attention to a study conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Forest Service, which says that "bullets... made of solid copper reliably cause ignitions."

Environmentalists want lead bullets banned in order to protect wildlife, which may be poisoned by lead in the environment.

But solid-copper bullets, with their "much higher propensity to ignite fires than lead core bullets," might not address the problem.

Lead bullets comprise about 95 percent of the bullet market, the Daily Caller reported. 

Anthony Rendon, the author of the bill, expressed doubts over concerns, noting that "any" gunpowder ignition can cause a fire, Rim or otherwise.

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