It sounds like Smokey the Bear is picking on ATVers.

In a 30-second television spot, he tells two ATV riders not to start their vehicles in a national forest.

"ATVs give off sparks. You could start a wildfire," the bear says (according to news reports). Rocky Barker also blogged about this. Check out his blog.

I haven't seen the ad, but what needs to be explained is that all motor vehicles can start fires in wildlands, not just ATVs. You can start a wildfire with the family sedan pulling off the shoulder of the highway for a picnic.

There was an effective TV spot a few years ago showing how motor vehicles can start fires in grasslands. All you have to do to start a fire is to pull your sedan or SUV off the pavement into high grass.

It could happen pulling off the road and parking to go fishing or for a hike. Most people don't realize the heat generated from the underside of a motor vehicle.

I remember a wildfire near Lucky Peak that was caused by a hunter, who pulled his 4WD rig off a dirt road into the grass. It was in the fall when the grass was really dried out and the weather was still hot.

Anyway Smokey, all motor vehicles have the potential of starting fires in the desert and mountains this time of the year.

The solution is to go on well traveled back roads that are cleared of grass; don't go off road and across grasslands; and watch where you park. That's very important.

Even though a back road may be open for travel, if the grass is high on the road, it might be a signal that there's potential fire danger from your rig.