Filling a cistern

[/pine]

open or abandoned wells, holes etc can be a source of ground water contamination depending on the aquifer...if there are any wells nearby being used for potable water special care should be taken with back filling...

 

[newbury]

Looks like you got about 10" of rain in your area last month.
Clear around it so if and when you start a fire there is no problem.
I'd wait for it to dry out a fair bit, then when it's safe (and legal, maybe contact the fire dept.) hook your blower up to a pipe, spray in an appropriate amount of diesel and let the flames consume what they will.

 

[Streetcar]

What is near the object. If nothing important, overfill with dirt and let it settle and rot. Add dirt as needed. Burning will only speed the process up

 

[Handloader109]

Why try and burn? Back fill it with dirt. Mound a foot high and forget about it. If it settles in 2 or 3 years, add some more dirt. Zero reason to empty or try and burn.

 

[newbury]

Burning things can be FUN!
and it will get the rats and snakes out.

 

[civilian]

Do you have a backhoe with a hydraulic thumb or mini ex with thumb? Reach in with bucket and thumb, pull some wood out to see what else is down there. Then decide what to do. But is the ground strong enough to support your backhoe? Old bomb shelter? Keep us posted if you find anything. Jon

 

[jigs_n_fixtures]

Ideally you need to get to the bottom, to punch a hole in it so it is free draining.

As to getting air in so it can burn, a vent pipe hooked to a blower is a good idea. Get it as far in as you can, and then work it in further as the fire Burns things out of the way. I’d also recommend a 50/50 mix of diesel and gasoline as an accelerant to get it started burning. Shouldn’t take a lot, but. I’m fairly sure it will take some.

 

[RalphVa]

You've a start on kugelkultur for that little area. Just finish filling it in and grow some good stuff there.

 

[Number15]

Gonna try and light it today. I figure I have about 10% chance of it catching. It's been wet here lately.

 

[Egon]

To do it properly consider bringing in a large hoe, about twenty foot depth, and dig it out.