Siblings killed in bonfire explosion

[JamesHW]

My current method is to eliminate accelerants entirely and use one of those chimney style BBQ charcoal starters. I've found that leaving an alcove under the pile were you can pour the red hot coals (with a board or something for the coals to lay on) is a very reliable method for getting a pile of brush, even wet brush, going fairly quickly. I use the cowboy charcoal (for fire starting as well as cookin') since it burns hotter.

Never felt comfortable pouring gas, used motor oil or anything else out on the burn pile since we get our well water from a shallow aquifer (20 foot down or so) and we are all sand. I know it all gets burned up, but still never felt comfortable doing it, safety issues aside.

 

[JDgreen227]

About using a BBQ lighter as ericher69 suggests: I have NEVER seen a BBQ lighter that would stay lit once you let go of the trigger...you can probably tape the trigger down if you use the broom handle method, and few broom handles are more than 5 feet long. I really prefer the "stand-back-and-throw" method I outlined in post #6.

 

[aczlan]

I will use used motor oil or diesel to light a bonfire. Never get it on the ground though. I always break open a bale of junk hay, spread the flakes through the pile and pour the oil/diesel onto the flakes. They act as a wick that way and it lights off as pretty as you please.

NEVER EVERY use gas, whitegas, etc to light a fire

I also always use a propane torch rather than a lighter. Works better and is probably cheaper.

Aaron Z

 

[tcartwri]

I used some left over coleman stove fuel once, thinking it was like diesel. WRONG.

 

[ericher69]

About using a BBQ lighter as ericher69 suggests: I have NEVER seen a BBQ lighter that would stay lit once you let go of the trigger...6.

Guess you don't get much...

The safest alternative is to use no accelerants; learn how to build your fuel/burn pile so that it lights properly.

Check out this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHc4hCyx2l4&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Fast forward to 1:50 and play

 

[indianaEPH]

Wow, that is tragic.
I always use Diesel or even kindling to start fires. This is yet another example of why

 

[Maknwine]

I light fires 99% of the time without any need for fuel. A lighter and whatever brush/scrap wood I'm burning is it.

If I have any old gas or used paint thinner laying around I'd use it, but never any new diesel/gas. I'm too cheap.

 

[uglyboywith11fingers]

I'm with aczlan... i use my propane torch if I need a bit of help getting a fire going.
a few years ago, my daughter's current boyfriend was a volunteer firefighter.
he was called out to a situation where an older gent had used gasoline to start a brush fire.
they suspected maybe he dribbled some gas on his boots... when he lit the fire, his feet began to burn, he backed away quick & tripped over his 5 gallon gas can... wasn't much left of the old fella.

Pete

 

[WVUNUT1985]

very sad for those involved. I want to add that an old hay bale or tight brush lights easy when you use a lit road flare to start the fire. I have used diesel fuel and kerosene both to start brush piles on fire. You can toss a road flare a long ways and it don't go out. Just my way of keeping my distance.

 

[jomar215]

Man alive, what happened to some birch bark, a few twigs, 20 minutes longer, and no boom? Am I the only guy left in the world who'll just build a fire??

I once had a vw jetta sized brush pile with a bit of a hidden layer of old spruce bows. The pile went up so fast that I almost couldn't get away from it fast enough. I couldn't imagine if it had been soaked in gasoline or was 2 stories high!