Burn Pile near catastrophe

   / Burn Pile near catastrophe #11  
I've burned a couple of large brush piles on my place. Both times with broad areas of nothing but newly turned dirt around them. Once even with a light rain falling. Both times ground was wet from recent rains. Even with all that it made me very nervous both times and both times got to a point where I thought I might need to call for help (which would take a good 30 minutes to get there if they could find me at all.) The flames go higher than you expect and the heat is always more intense than you expect in terms of getting in close to slow things down. Burning bits get kicked up by the wind and/or updraft and you spend a lot of time stomping out new little fires. Neither time did it ever actually get out of hand, but almost.

I'm not planning on doing it again. As has been said, it is a helpless feeling when you first start to think its going to get out of hand. And you also start to realize how stupid people are going to think you are, and righfully so. I don't like either feeling enough to try it again.
 
   / Burn Pile near catastrophe #12  
Earlier this year I did a very similar thing. This is the reason I bought my tractor.

I had cut approx. 2 acers in the middle of the woods to make into a food plot. Figured I could burn all the brush a little at a time. This is at my place in northern Wisconsin, and I live in southern Wisconsin. So I was forced to do this on weekends. I called our DNR and asked for a burning permit. They would not issue me a permit till I cleared out a 30-50 ft area with a burn pile placed in the middle of the area. I went north thinking how stupid that they even have to be involved to issue a permit. But that is the law in our state. I cleared a 40 ft area and built a respectable pile in the middle of the clearing in the middle of the two acres in the middle of the Iron County forest. I did not make it back up there for a couple of weeks. No rain at home for those weeks but I called for an inspection of my pile and for them to issue a burn permit. They inspected and issued a permit and I headed north. Left at 11:00am on Friday morning and arrived at 4:30pm on Friday. My wife and I made great time and I was so excited to start burning. When we got there there was a note from the forester along with a permit and a Geri Can(back pack can with a hand pump) The note said "fill this can just in case I will pick it up on Monday. Good luck."

I started the lawn mower for my wife and started into the woods with the Geri Can and a book of matches.

I lite the pile I built and within minutes the flames were 30'-0" high. The fire was burning so hot that it was making its own wind in the clearing. Within 7-8minutes the flames touched down on another pile of brush and I had two 30'-0" fires burning. I used the Geri Can and was so excited I snapped the hand pump in half. I dumped it on the first fire and ran back to the cabin to get more water. I picked up the ATV and a 5 gallon bucket of water and drove back to the fire, bucket and Geri in tow. When I got there, there was a third fire. I dumped the bucket and Geri and went back to the cabin. I ran down the driveway where I wife was mowing. One look at me and she knew what was happening. I unhitched the trailer from the truck and she went for help. No cell phone coverage in our area. While she was gone I made numerous trips with the ATV and two water containers. I burnt my arms pulling fuel from the fires. I was so exhausted I was burning out fast(no pun intended). When the fire department got there approx. 40 minutes after this thing started I had the fire down to 3 foot flames in about 6 plies. We have a volunter fire department and approx. 20 of my neighbors came and put it completly out. All with back packs. The DNR brought in a dozer with 500 gallons of water and completly put out the smolders.

I bought a tractor and tree chipper because of this.

The reason I told this story is because I understand how bad(and foolish) you can feel after this happens. It can happen to anyone I can assure you.
 
   / Burn Pile near catastrophe #13  
ive burnt 3 or huge piles of mostly green stuff. usually let it sit for someplace between a week and a month.

not a single prob hear. (growing up we would burn piles all the time at my uncles so im not new to it)

the FEL is great for tending (just dont get to close) ;)


The last scarry pile i burnt was at my uncles. it had been sitting all summer. we had HEAVY dew and wind out of the right direction. It kept my attention for quite some time makeing shure it didnt touch off anything else, but overall no probs.
 
   / Burn Pile near catastrophe #14  
I have burned piles of green trees with leaves that have been 10X20 and eight feet tall.

Rules have always been, the area must have been mowed on a regular basis, the cut area around the are to be burned must be green or bare dirt for a distance of fifty feet in all directions, there cannot be any trees within fifty feet of the area to be burned.

By keeping the are where the burn is to be well mowed, the additional fuel for the fire to spread is eliminated.

Burns are done during the evening when you have the dew to keep the grass wet. A nearby garden hose is a must.

If these conditions cannot be met, we just let the piles sit to decompose.
 
   / Burn Pile near catastrophe #15  
3RRL said:
I have several burn piles to deal with but have never really "burned" a pile yet. Your post scares the crap out of me. I have decided to move my burn pile where I have dirt for 200' all around and no trees. I have burned piles when I was a kid but that was by accident.:)
Thanks for sharing.

I had a 20 feet dirt border plus 3 inches of rain soaked ground.
Bob
 
   / Burn Pile near catastrophe
  • Thread Starter
#16  
Jeff M said:
I started the lawn mower for my wife and started into the woods with the Geri Can and a book of matches.

I lit the pile I built and within minutes the flames were 30'-0" high. The fire was burning so hot that it was making its own wind in the clearing. Within 7-8minutes the flames touched down on another pile of brush and I had two 30'-0" fires burning. I used the Geri Can and was so excited I snapped the hand pump in half. I dumped it on the first fire and ran back to the cabin to get more water. I picked up the ATV and a 5 gallon bucket of water and drove back to the fire, bucket and Geri in tow. When I got there, there was a third fire. I dumped the bucket and Geri and went back to the cabin. I ran down the driveway where I wife was mowing. One look at me and she knew what was happening. I unhitched the trailer from the truck and she went for help. No cell phone coverage in our area. While she was gone I made numerous trips with the ATV and two water containers. I burnt my arms pulling fuel from the fires. I was so exhausted I was burning out fast(no pun intended). When the fire department got there approx. 40 minutes after this thing started I had the fire down to 3 foot flames in about 6 plies. We have a volunter fire department and approx. 20 of my neighbors came and put it completly out. All with back packs. The DNR brought in a dozer with 500 gallons of water and completly put out the smolders.

I bought a tractor and tree chipper because of this.

The reason I told this story is because I understand how bad(and foolish) you can feel after this happens. It can happen to anyone I can assure you.

Excellent job of describing how intense it can get in a short amount of time. I was hauling five gallon buckets about 40 yards but couldn't reign it in.
 
   / Burn Pile near catastrophe
  • Thread Starter
#17  
hunterridgefarm said:
rvaitor, was this at Hickory, NC ?

Yes, in the Vale area south of Hickory/Morganton.

Yes, I too thought about blaming the wind. Thankfully it was blowing the way it was. The fire guys said if it had been blowing into the woods they may not have been able to get down there to put it out.

My thinking now is to cover the pile with a tarp and wait till it's been raining for a few days - pull the tarp off and see if I can get it started - then pile the wet stuff on top of that. Also, clear around it better - maybe push it up in the clear area more - anyway for now I'm a retired brush pile burner.
 
   / Burn Pile near catastrophe #18  
rvaitor said:
Yes, in the Vale area south of Hickory/Morganton.

Yes, I too thought about blaming the wind. Thankfully it was blowing the way it was. The fire guys said if it had been blowing into the woods they may not have been able to get down there to put it out.

My thinking now is to cover the pile with a tarp and wait till it's been raining for a few days - pull the tarp off and see if I can get it started - then pile the wet stuff on top of that. Also, clear around it better - maybe push it up in the clear area more - anyway for now I'm a retired brush pile burner.

You made a few mistakes as you already know.
The dried grass clippings too close to the burn pile and too much wind is what got ya on this one.
You can still burn it where it is, you just have remove the close grass clippings burn in early morning like right at sunup when there is dew and no wind or after a rain.
Wind is your biggest enemy.
Your next burn piles need to be farther away from the tree line also.

I just finished burning my final four piles that three have been seasoning for over a year and the fourth is three years with some recent new stuff, our burn bans here in Texas during the winter have let my piles season real good.
I also use my tractors FEL to massage the fire/coals so everything gets turned to ash, I use a face shield, saftey glasses, heavy leather gloves, long sleeve denim shirt & carhartt bibs when working one by hand/rake.
I have burned well over thirty piles of various sizes with none getting out of hand...knock on wood:)
 
   / Burn Pile near catastrophe #19  
I have been thinking about getting an early start on my burning as it is very wet (finally) here and predicted for rain the next several days. I have 6 HUGE piles from cutting wood/clear cutting a 5 acre patch. Usually wait until there is snow on the ground. There is no water available. I even split up 3 buckets of kindling and fueled up the leaf blower in preparation today (great aid in starting brush fires). Still may go day after tomorrow but your post has me wondering.

Harry K
 
   / Burn Pile near catastrophe #20  
Jeff M said:
Earlier this year I did a very similar thing. This is the reason I bought my tractor.

...........I lite the pile I built and within minutes the flames were 30'-0" high. The fire was burning so hot that it was making its own wind in the clearing. Within 7-8minutes the flames touched down on another pile of brush and I had two 30'-0" fires burning. I used the Geri Can and was so excited I snapped the hand pump in half. I dumped it on the first fire and ran back to the cabin to get more water............. because I understand how bad(and foolish) you can feel after this happens. It can happen to anyone I can assure you.

It happened to me once and that's once too many times for me. No more burning large piles. I have several huge piles needed to be burned and I decided to hire the pros to do the job. They will burn them next weekend and the forestry department has issued a burn permit.
 

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