Building a bonfire...

[TomSeller]

Hey a tractor is great for loading a fire as well as leveling one. Fun but a bit scary shoving the FEL into a bonfire! I do keep a water hose nearby. Have to admit though there is a little pride in letting your pile burn to the ground without dowsing with water.

I try to start mine early enough that the pile is in the reduction phase by nightfall where the stumps and chunks burn up. I try to get a push to the middle before sundown to burn up the remains. If burned on a stump, the smoke could last a few weeks. The FD here says they don't worry about the smoldering ones in the off season, but that probably differs by location.

 

[dragoneggs]

I try to start mine early enough that the pile is in the reduction phase by nightfall where the stumps and chunks burn up. I ry to get a push to the middle before sundown to burn up the remains. If burned on a stump, the smoke could last a few weeks. The FD here says they don't worry about the smoldering ones in the off season, but that probably differs by location.

A long weekend for me is golden. I let my pile burn down on Friday night and Saturday morning I start piling small stuff then bigger gauge and magically the pile starts again. :thumbsup: Sunday morning the same thing. By the time NFL is done so is my fall weekend burning. Yes some of the stumps are there for a seeder for the next weekend. I like spring burning better. Not so much a baseball fan. Go Hawks! Go M's... see what I mean.

 

[Coyote machine]

I try to start mine early enough that the pile is in the reduction phase by nightfall where the stumps and chunks burn up. I ry to get a push to the middle before sundown to burn up the remains. If burned on a stump, the smoke could last a few weeks. The FD here says they don't worry about the smoldering ones in the off season, but that probably differs by location.

I agree with that process. In my area we're required to keep someone on site while the fire is burning. I start mine with a hay bale and allow the prevailing wind to push the fire into the pile of brush, trees, etc as the pile burns. I use the tractor with log grapple on the FEL and push and rearrange the fire as it burns, while adding more logs, etc. to it. My avatar shows my most recent fire in progress, mostly full size trees from cutting I did with my new tree shear. That thing is AWESOME!:thumbsup:

Where did you say that was you're burning Tom? Which town/FD?

 

[tbrooks26]

I just recently learned the hay/straw/diesel trick and man that works nice, like a giant fire log. Even in the pouring down rain. Around here, I usually try to get about 10 or so people, a hot grill with meat, and some alcohol to burn my piles. Only had the FD called once or twice, more likely to have the PD called, back in my younger days. They would normally come and shoot the bull for a little while, and say keep it down please. This is me and my youngest at my last one, fire is about 40 feet behind us