Burning Poison Oak???

[kmanvt]

I guess this would be the right spot to post this. It's more of a question than anything, but I'll describe what I've been doing and where I'm headed. I'm clearing out an old barn lot and about 100 yards of fence row. I'm got the lot mostly down and in piles and half the wire off the fence row.

The problem is that part of the lot fence had Poison Oak intermingled in the wire. Also two dead trees (30-40 feet tall) are completely covered in it. I've got everything down and piled up ready to burn right now. Even though I had long sleeves and gloves on I still got it on my wrists and forearms. I even got it on my forehead where I used the back of my glove to wipe my head, DUMB MOVE on my part!!!! While searching the net about the best way to get rid of this stuff I've read that you should never burn poisonous plants because the urushiol oil will go up with the smoke. Basically anything that the smoke touches will have the oil on it which could cause allergic reactions when touched later. Also if you breathe the smoke you have to go the hospital for a stay.

So to the point, does anyone know how I should get rid of this pile of brush!!!!!!!! /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

 

[millsnhills]

Thats a tough one.

My three thoughts.

Hire someone to burn it while letting them know whats in there.

Bury it all, get someone in the with a backhoe, tract hoe.

Haul it off.

Jeff

 

[Golfgar4]

Here's a link Uh Oh, Poison Ivy to a thread that discussed how to deal with poison ivy. I believe the discussion also got into discussing poison oak. Maybe you'll find some useful information. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[jim_wilson]

I ended up with a couple of really big brush piles over the last few years after clearing out my back yard. Typically I would do the clearing in the fall and just leave the pile and burn it in the spring. I don't burning a pile laced with poison oak is a good idea but if you just left it for a few months I think everything would dry out and it might be safe at that point to burn. If leaving the pile is not an option the only safe thing I can think to do with the stuff is to bury it. Have you tried doing some searching on the web? There are a lot of good gardening and lawn care sites out there - must be somebody who is an expert in this type of thing.

 

[creeper]

If anyone is allergic to it, they can't breath in the smoke.

 

[beenthere]

Poison oak and poison ivy are the same thing, I understand.
Regardless, burning does present a problem.
I had my resistance to poison ivy broken when I burned it and was in the smoke.

But, staying out of the smoke while burning it is an option. I don't think I would worry about any residual from the smoke causing a problem. (and I know, the smoke always finds you).

A good practice when being around poison ivy is to wash thouroghly with a couple hours of handling the stuff. That has helped me prevent any outbreaks for the last 35 years, and I have to handle it a lot. I also am very careful about washing my hands after tieing my shoe laces, just to be extra careful.

Good luck. And be careful.

 

[Mark4510]

I sure would not burn it. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

Get some goats if you can, fence off the area you want them to eat, give 'em some water and let them chew through everything.

If you cant do that, then spray it to kill as much as you can. Then get one of those cheap one piece paper type of suits that you wear with some gloves you dont mind throwing away and have at it.

If you do get the oil on your skin I have had really good success with a product called TechNu. It really works well.

Mark

 

[em14]

I don't think it is a very good idea to burn piosion oak. People with alergies will really suffer as the wind and smoke will spread it a long way. I would poision it, bury it or just let it rot.
Leo

 

[Bird]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I don't think it is a very good idea to burn piosion oak )</font>

I'd have to agree, but at the the same time, I had lots of poison ivy to get rid of, so I burned it along with other brush. I always tried to do my burning shortly after a rain, and/or early in the morning while the dew was still on the grass, and tried to stay upwind and out of any smoke, and never had a problem. Of course it may be that I was just lucky.

 

[kmanvt]

I need to clear something up, I've already got everything down and piled up ready to burn. It wasn't till I had it piled up that I learned that it's not a good idea to burn it. Also the nearest neighbor is at least a half mile away, if he is even there.