What is the fastest way to burn a pile of logs?

[Williy]

I would think if you cut them to 8 or 10 ft lengths
stand them vertical they would burn faster than
stacking them but have them leaning so you space
between them at the bottom f;or air flow

Or stack them so there is plenty of air space so the
wind can fan for a faster burn

willy

 

[MoKelly]

Keep the fire hot?

Last week Christmas Tree clean up…

Yikes!!! Is that real?

That would scare me to death!

 

[ultrarunner]

They do things different in Oregon...

Weeks of rain and 30 acres dirt around.

 

[MoKelly]

They do things different in Oregon...

Weeks of rain and 30 acres dirt around.

Ok.

Here is my latest experience:

So - I’m a little gun shy!

 

[arto98607]

I have years of old dead pine trees on the ground-- hundreds of them. Aftermath of a bark beetle invasion.

I want to get rid of many of them. I'm thinking of stacking and burning, but due to size I have to cut them first. (Typical log is probably 16 in diameter and 60ft long. Regulations in CA are maximum 4ft by 4ft burn pile but that is commonly exceeded.

I know that even simple brush piles can take hours to burn. So burning dense "logs" will take longer but I want to speed that up.

I am looking for the fastest, most efficient method to burn them up, but not to the level of having a 50 ft fireball into the sky. I have to keep the burn pile somewhat reasonable. I am considering bucking some logs into sections, and throwing them on the fire whole. And with others, bucking into sections, splitting them like firewood, then into the fire. Seems the split logs would burn up faster?

Once the fire gets established, I won't be able to drag long heavy logs into it. So some cutting / bucking cannot be avoided.

Any ideas?

If you have hundreds of "old dead pine trees" and plan on burning them, you should forget about 4' x 4' burn pile regulation!

In case you decide to burn them:
Rent a large size excavator, start a well burning small campfire in a safe to burn area and once it's going well start adding with the excavator easy to burn tree branches etc. first and gradually add bigger stuff like the logs you mentioned.

I have watched contractor do it that way with hundreds fresh green stumps and fir trees which were dying and not suitable for lumber & no one wanted them for free firewood.

They burned very good even when it was raining hard - in fact, it's best to do it during winter when it's raining steady!

 

[ultrarunner]

Ok.

Here is my latest experience:

View attachment 863034View attachment 863035

So - I’m a little gun shy!

At the California site burning required and all rules and regs followed to the letter and small burn piles, no accelerant and a dozer on standby plus water.

It mattered not… multiple fire response including Cal Fire… all was found in order without exception…

 

[two_bit_score]

They burned very good even when it was raining hard - in fact, it's best to do it during winter when it's raining steady!

Best time to burn a big pile is is a downpour.

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

My grandfather used to use one of these filled with gasoline to burn stuff. It was fun to watch & I thought he was the Wizard of Oz.

 

[bdhsfz6]

I lost a couple of dozen Hemlock, 8 to 14" in diameter, to a Wooly Adelgid infestation 7 years ago. I let them stand until all the branches rotted off and then felled them. I dug trenches along the length of the trunks, rolled them in and buried them.

Obviously not an option for hundreds of dead trees though.

 

[2manyrocks]

Ok.

Here is my latest experience:

View attachment 863034View attachment 863035

So - I’m a little gun shy!

Wind + dry grass will do that, and it will make a person gun shy.