Building a bonfire...

[JamesHW]

I always start my burn piles using charcoal chimney starter and place the white hot coals down in the center of the pile on an a board. Even if we are burning a pile of soaked brush and limbs it gets started quickly by drying off everything above the coals. No diesel, old motor oil or trash tires needed which is good because my place is very sandy and has a shallow aquifer under the entire property (my well point is at around 22 feet).

 

[lostcreekranch]

Here's what I use to get brush piles started.

Propane Torch with Push Button Igniter

I put the propane bottle in an old school milk crate for stability in back of my Polaris Ranger. The hose is long enough to use burner without removing the propane bottle from the bed of the Ranger.

Sent from my iPad using TractorByNet

 

[Gary Fowler]

Burning brush piles is no issue around here as long as there is no burn ban in effect. Volunteer FD notice is welcome but not required and I have burned lots of trash piles without notice and no one showed up.
Burning trash piles uses up my used motor oil supply along with a bit of diesel to make it burn more readily. A propane torch sets it off easily.

 

[smstonypoint]

Based on this and other TBN threads, the various locales differ in the permitting of burning.

I have to obtain a burning permit when I burn in either NC or SC, but the process is easy in both states (assuming no burning bans are in effect). In NC, permits can be obtained online and are good for up to one month. In SC, permits are obtained via an automated telephone system, but are good for only one day at a time.

I have read that using a roll of toilet paper soaked in diesel fuel was effective in starting bonfires. I'm going to give it a try the next time I burn.

Steve

 

[om21braz]

I have read that using a roll of toilet paper soaked in diesel fuel was effective in starting bonfires. I'm going to give it a try the next time I burn.

Steve

If it's a large bonfire, a diesel fuel soaked hay bale works great.

 

[dragoneggs]

How does anybody ever get any clearing done up around ya'll. A 4'x4'x4' pile you'd spend more time trying to keep the pile legal than you would burning.
Here it's nothing to see piles tree length and as big and tall as the dozer would pile it. Once on fire it's going to burn for days but it'll be a low fire after its going. Big flames at first till the tops are burned off then low and slow burning till gone by tightening up with the dozer every couple of hours.

I interpret the flame must be less than the 4x4x4. At least that will be my story when the local FD arrives. Just hope they don't know my SIL who is a FF for another district or I will never hear the end of it.

 

[turnkey4099]

I interpret the flame must be less than the 4x4x4. At least that will be my story when the local FD arrives. Just hope they don't know my SIL who is a FF for another district or I will never hear the end of it.

If they show my attempt will be to show them that the pile is at least 4x4x4 and thus meets the requirement . I don't think they will laugh though.

Haryr K

 

[gwstang]

Oh, I just had a brilliant idea last summer when I had a giant pile of debris piled up as as high as the front end loader on the Kubota would keep stacking it. It got bigger and bigger and I let it dry out for several months. One day the wife asked me when I was getting rid of it and I said soon. It was out in the middle of a field and it had rained a few days earlier so it was a good day to die...errrhh uhhh burn. I got the brilliant idea of pouring some old gas on the pile where I could reach it. Lots of thorns, big thorns in that stuff that I had cut with a chainsaw and tore my hide up on over several months of clearing. I was about to have my "revenge". I left a little gas to pour back a line out a ways to light...you know like Wiley E Coyote would do. Yep, I lighted up the little line and it went "WOOSH". About took off my eyebrows and the flames were licking up to heaven. Scared the you know what out of me. I didn't know fire could move that fast. :shocked:

 

[ultrarunner]

Reading this because we have been culling the old tree farm and building burn piles... culled about 4 acres.

Never burned and checked to see if allowed and we meet the definition... diseased trees and county AG Zoning and farm business.

What I'm worried about is across the road is a new gated community with million dollar homes inside the city limit... I'm sure sparks will fly when we burn... these folks like the idea of country living but not reality.

May be the first on last time we burn and multiple agencies are involved...

 

[om21braz]

Reading this because we have been culling the old tree farm and building burn piles... culled about 4 acres.

Never burned and checked to see if allowed and we meet the definition... diseased trees and county AG Zoning and farm business.

What I'm worried about is across the road is a new gated community with million dollar homes inside the city limit... I'm sure sparks will fly when we burn... these folks like the idea of country living but not reality.

May be the first on last time we burn and multiple agencies are involved...

Maybe a chipper would be a better option or one of the skid-steer mulchers?