Never park a hot OHV on dry grass
Off-highway vehicles cause a meaningful share of human-caused wildfires across the West every season, and the most common ignition is not a tailpipe...
Off-highway vehicles cause a meaningful share of human-caused wildfires across the West every season, and the most common ignition is not a tailpipe spark — it is hot exhaust components touching dry grass when the rider stops to take a break. Catalytic converters and muffler shells routinely run above 200°C, hot enough to ignite cured grass, moss, pine needles and dead leaves on contact. Stop on bare dirt, gravel, mineral soil or paved ground, never on grass or duff. Before you park for lunch, check that nothing flammable is touching the underside of the machine. At the end of a ride, brush vegetation out from around the skid plate, exhaust and engine compartment — vegetation that is wedged in there cooks against hot metal long after you turn the key off. Carry a small shovel, a couple of litres of water and a fire extinguisher when riding, and check behind you for several minutes after stopping. The Alberta OHV safety page notes that buildups of grass and moss under a machine can heat up, smoulder and ignite well after the rider has left.
Most OHV-caused wildfires start when a hot muffler or skid plate touches dry grass at a rest stop — not from sparks out the tailpipe while moving.
Source: Alberta — Off-Highway Vehicle Safety
Last reviewed 2026-05-02.
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