ATHOL — Jim Lyon held up a saucer-shaped object and showed it to the crowd of ATV enthusiasts.

It was a collapsible water bucket — compact, durable and easy to stow.

“Our bane in the fire season is unattended campfires,” the Northern Lakes Fire District spokesman said. “If you’re out on your ATVs, and you go by an unattended campfire, help put it out.”

On Saturday at the Bunco Road trailhead, firefighters of the Kootenai County Fire Prevention Cooperative greeted members of the North Idaho ATV Association.

The firemen passed out 50-odd buckets — worth about $20 each — and asked the riders to carry them on their quads.

“We often ride on a Sunday, and you come across folks that have packed up and left for the weekend,” said North Idaho ATV President Frank Axtell. “It’ll make ’em more prepared, should they come across (a campfire).”

All ATV and motorcycle users are required by law to carry a bucket and shovel when riding on National Forest lands. Four-wheelers and bikes must also be equipped with a spark arrester.

“We figured we better help with that,” said co-op President Shane O’Shea. “By law, the helmet is considered a bucket. But how many people are going to take that off and dip it in the creek?”

An Idaho license plate grant funded the high-tech buckets. They hold as much water as a typical plastic model, but compress into a small package.

“I think it’s a real good idea,” said Dave Logue of Hayden, an ATV Association member. “Take up very little room, and they could really come in handy if you come across a fire burning.”

The riders traveled about 100 miles on Saturday, rolling all the way to Clark Fork and back. Packed in bags or strapped to racks, the buckets rode along.

“It makes it easier for people to carry,” Axtell said. “It’s a great design.”