A Texas B-1B Munition Sparked Range Fire

May 18, 2006

A Texas B-1B Munition Sparked Range Fire: A training munition released by a B-1B bomber on the Melrose Bombing Range near Cannon AFB, N.M., on November 30, 2005, started a fire that eventually burned 26,000 acres of grazing and farmland, according to an Air Combat Command accident report released Tuesday. The bomber was on a training mission from Dyess AFB, Tex., when it released a dummy bomb with a spotting charge that sparked the fire. The report indicated that Cannon officials failed to recognize the level of fire danger at the time and implement reasonable safety measures.

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