Some still, damp day this fall we're going to have to burn. Our pile consists mostly of brush, uprooted cactus and scrap lumber. Now we've never done this and are nervous about it, not to mention totally ignorant of proper procedures. Can ya'll give us any pointers?
Mine get high - I wait til a rainy day in the winter - pour a little diesel on it to start it - then constantly circle the pile with the tractor and/or shovel and monitor it all the way down. They are usually at least a year old so it burns quick. They are usually made up of mostly cedar too - and trash elm. Burning in the rain takes care of any hot ash that wants to float off.
Start with small piles. 4'x4'x4' is the max recommended size in our fire district.
Clear around the pile, down to dirt. It's hard for a fire to escape if there are no flammables right next to it
Keep it in the open; don't put it under or near trees.
<font color="red"> Don't use gas to ignite it! Don't even think about it! </font color> Start it with paper, or maybe use a little charcoal lighter fluid. Just do't use gasoline, or "white" campstove type fuel; it is too volatile, and will flash on you.
Keep a shovel and rake right there in case you need to mop up around the burn pile.
If you have it, have a water supply right there with you too.
Get a permit from your local Fire Dept. Manty area's require permits to burn. And, like at our station, they have a handy flier that details all this.
Call your burn information number to see if it is a permissive burn day. They may not allow you to burn because of air quality issues, or hazardous fire issues.
Be careful burning construction trash, lumber, ect. In a lot of area's, you can only burn yard debris and rubbish; ie tree trimmings, brush, pine needles ect.
Have a phone nearby, just in case your burn pile escapes. You are liable for all damages if you burn pile escapes and damges a neighbors property.
Some good advice so far. Let me emphasize the "don't use gasoline to start it" part. Gasoline doesn't burn, it explodes! When I was a kid growing up on the farm, I used gasoline - once. I learned my lesson quick!
Don't burn on a windy day!
I use either kerosene or diesel fuel if the brush is still kind of green. It also helps to add some engine oil (I save my old oil when I change my oil in the vehicles and tractor for just this purpose). If it's dry though, you won't need anything but some newspaper.
I don't bother with permits, not sure if they're needed. That's up to you.
I fill my pump sprayers (I have one for herbicides and one for pesticides) with water and keep them handy. I also have a couple pails of water handy. Sometimes I water the area down around it before lighting it.
In my opinion, the biggest danger is sparks and leaves or other stuff that gets in the air. Don't put cardboard boxes and books on top, that stuff will float off while under fire. Did I say "don't burn on a windy day!"
Warning: Once a fair sized brush pile (6'x6'x6')gets going, you won't be able to get within 15' of it for a while. So, make sure the area around it is cleared before you light it.
I try to get a fairly early start so I won't be up all night tending it. Those embers can last all night OK once they're raked up into a pile with a good 3' or so band of bare ground around them.
Hey, good first post, Robert! [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]
Glad you showed up over here 'cuz I will probably do my own burn for the first time as soon as things moisten up a little. I'm guessing your advice applys pretty close, since you're only a couple of hills away from my property.
We've been interviewing caretakers for the property lately, and one fella saw my brush pile and said he could burn it right where it is -- next to and overgrown by large oaks and pines. [img]/forums/images/icons/crazy.gif[/img] He flunked the interview. [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img]
I plan on tractorin' a good-sized pit in a nearby clearing and leave the spoils piled up around the edge for extra containment. Thanks for mentioning the 4'x4'x4' dimension. I'll double check for our area, but that sounds like a good starting point. I'd rather take it slow than burn down the whole neighborhood. And maybe yours. [img]/forums/images/icons/blush.gif[/img]
Any estimates on how many marshmallows/weenies per cubic yard of brush? [img]/forums/images/icons/laugh.gif[/img]
Good thread, Bob. [img]/forums/images/icons/wink.gif[/img]
Harv, since you are so close, I know you will need a permit. You will also need to find out the "burn number" in your area.
Also, I would forgo the marshmallows and weenies. From what you have siad in the past, you are not sure what the content of some of your brush piles are. I do not believe you nor the kids would enjoy raosting edibles over burning poison oak [img]/forums/images/icons/blush.gif[/img]
Mosey,
the permit probably is not a big deal till I show up on the Engine and ask about it [img]/forums/images/icons/shocked.gif[/img] Honestly though, you would be sited and fined in our district, if we had to respond to your burn pile. Other districts and states vary thier regs.
I was on a 1000 acre fire a week ago. Ashes were falling over 5 miles away.
In our district, you can not put books or boxes on the burn pile. It is for yard trimmings only. Again, it varies by district, state, ect.
You're right, those ashes and embers will stay hot for a LONG time.
Out here, we stay away from roasting weenies, since you might have poison oak in the pile, even if inadvertantly. That would make a really yucky marshmallow [img]/forums/images/icons/shocked.gif[/img]
I completely forgot about the ol' poison oak! Although it was never intentional, it's a pretty safe bet that there is at least some of that nasty stuff in there.
Guess I need a second pit to burn some charcoal briquettes in. [img]/forums/images/icons/wink.gif[/img]
I've never used a burn pile, but my neighbor across the street did. On a breezy day. He caught his next door neighbor's (they live diagonally from us) lawn on fire. [img]/forums/images/icons/shocked.gif[/img] They had to call in the local volunteer fire department. Fortunately, the fire didn't get out of hand, and the neighbor really didn't care all that much about their lawn.
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