feeling stumped--advice needed

[dirttoys]

Anyone ever use a fan to force feed a fire? I'm thinking trench with a large fan at one end

Leaf blower.

 

[oosik]

I have a large pit. 35 x 20 x 4 deep. I pile all burnables in the pit and torch it every winter. I don't bother with stumps on my 80 acres. Leave them where they are and they will rot out.

This procedure allows me to, quite easily, keep up with the dead trees, all the limbs, brush -etc.

 

[Captain Dirty]

Anyone ever use a fan to force feed a fire? I'm thinking trench with a large fan at one end

My son's burn pit was about 4' deep x 12' diameter with a trench from the bottom to the surface in which we buried 20' of 6" pipe. He used a 5 or 7 amp "bouncy house" blower for the forced draft. It took about 12 hours of burn for a 6' diameter stump with (most of) the dirt washed off that had been allowed to dry for a year to be reduced to a 10" cube. The force draft makes the fire burn hotter and cleaner, less likely to have down-wind smoke complaints if you have to burn surreptitiously.

If Pembroke, Ont. has geology like Lanark County, digging a 4' deep pit may be difficult.

 

[CobyRupert]

I’ve burned many a rootball…..but only after building multiple brush piles and bonfires over them. Sometimes it takes 3-4 raging bonfires and you wonder how anything could survive just one of them. They’re tough to burn.

I’ve also burnt stumps in the ground by building a “pup tent” over them with a two pieces of sheet metal and a fan blowing into one end. Not only does the fan provide more oxygen, but it does a good job of removing fire smothering ash.

 

[WVH1977]

I burn everything brush and stump related (big piles because I am still clearing). Right now I have two dedicated burn piles that get burned twice a year. I end up with ashes stacked up in about a 3 ft tall pile. I take the ashes and spread throughout my yard on the grass and garden. Works good for me.

 

[EddieWalker]

I have 2 burn piles right now. They are both about 20 feet wide and 80 feet long. I'm still adding to them by making them longer. When I built my lake, I piled everything up in a line that was over 200 feet long. Light the fire at one end and let it go. I only burn right after a big rain, and only after all the leaves have fallen off of the dead trees. Ideally, I'll wait until winter when it's really wet out. For me, it's harder to burn a green pine then a stump. The stumps dry out fairly quickly, but a decent sized pine will hold moisture in it for a very long time. Now I try to cut each pine into four lengths so they dry out quicker.

In your case, I would build my burn pile in the center of your cleared area. Since the size of your burn pile is so small, I would just add to it as it goes to keep it going.

 

[WVH1977]

I have 2 burn piles right now. They are both about 20 feet wide and 80 feet long. I'm still adding to them by making them longer. When I built my lake, I piled everything up in a line that was over 200 feet long. Light the fire at one end and let it go. I only burn right after a big rain, and only after all the leaves have fallen off of the dead trees. Ideally, I'll wait until winter when it's really wet out. For me, it's harder to burn a green pine then a stump. The stumps dry out fairly quickly, but a decent sized pine will hold moisture in it for a very long time. Now I try to cut each pine into four lengths so they dry out quicker.

In your case, I would build my burn pile in the center of your cleared area. Since the size of your burn pile is so small, I would just add to it as it goes to keep it going.

I have done a pile of burning during snowstorms. Love it. Get nice and muddy.

 

[Torvy]

Pile stumps on brush piles. Burn in the winter with the first light snow.

That could be a few years for some of us.

 

[jyoutz]

That could be a few years for some of us.

Light rain works also

 

[newbury]

Pile stumps on brush piles. Burn in the winter with the first light snow.

I have done a pile of burning during snowstorms. Love it. Get nice and muddy.

That could be a few years for some of us.

The OP is in Pembroke, Ontario, it snows November thru April.

 

[Rustyiron]

I have done a pile of burning during snowstorms. Love it. Get nice and muddy.

I plowed off close to 24" around the area to tend the fire. The sun had mostly melted it off the pile.

 

[streamin]

do you mind me asking what he charged you? just curious what 2 acres is worth to pay... I also vote to try and burn them

 

[Bobrown14]

That could be a few years for some of us.

OP is in Ontario - hes got snow from November to June

I'm in upstate NY - burn baby burn. We have a burn ban in effect from February to mid May until everything is greened back up. There's a lot of dead dry material in the woods before May. Gotta be careful.

My neighbor cleared a 100 acre field that was left go for years. Made a huge pile in the middle of the field and let it sit for a few years to dry out. Then in winter he called the local fire department and they had a training deal and burnt that pile down. I hadda be 30-40 feet tall and 50 feet around.

 

[Kschwennsen]

just make big piles, wildlife will love it.

 

[Rockbadchild]

OP is in Ontario - hes got snow from November to June

lol, ''November to June'' push but push equally, he is in southern Ontario not Hutson bay area, more like December to March maybe April at best.

 

[fishdrivel]

I would roll the stumps around and knock all the dirt off. Drill them and put in Potassium Nitrate and water gently until it is absorbed. Pile them up and wait a month or 2. Keep them dry if possible. Then burn them.
Use the brush to get a fire going. Put a blower on the pile and watch them burn! If you use the Potassium Nitrate method, do not use diesel to start the fire!

 

[Rockbadchild]

I would roll the stumps around and knock all the dirt off. Drill them and put in Potassium Nitrate and water gently until it is absorbed. Pile them up and wait a month or 2. Keep them dry if possible. Then burn them.
Use the brush to get a fire going. Put a blower on the pile and watch them burn! If you use the Potassium Nitrate method, do not use diesel to start the fire!

what the Potassium Nitrate do ?

 

[BLSXJ]

alright... 1st snow... November for sure, October maybe.... then it lasts into April sometimes May.

The year I pulled the insulation and furnace out of my house during a early warm May.... it snowed the long weekend (4 weeks in)


It does sound like everyone is saying "burn it" the tiny fire size I'm allowed seems like a recipe for frustration... but might be the only cost effective way

 

[Rustyiron]

It does sound like everyone is saying "burn it" the tiny fire size I'm allowed seems like a recipe for frustration... but might be the only cost effective way

Well then, it's 15 small 4x4 fire's
No possiblity that your contractor will help your situation?
Some pictures would satisfy many of our curiosity's.

 

[Rockbadchild]

alright... 1st snow... November for sure, October maybe.... then it lasts into April sometimes May.

The year I pulled the insulation and furnace out of my house during a early warm May.... it snowed the long weekend (4 weeks in)


It does sound like everyone is saying "burn it" the tiny fire size I'm allowed seems like a recipe for frustration... but might be the only cost effective way

I am assuming you are within city limit ? closes neighbor? can you ask for exceptions ? I would light it up at dawn and take a chance without a permit, offences in the Pembroke website the fines is $200 not the end of the world, unless they can combine them and give you $200 for each offence then id take the permit and risk to get the $200 for over size authorize ...

These kinda things frustrate the hell out of me, you are on your land and pay tax's and yet you are bound by stupidities like this. Just repeat after me, ''I am free''. .... Lands on unorganized territory is the way to go less bull sh*% to deal with...