I always get a permit. During one of these fires (the one with the double image) I had a legal fire the week before that got out of hand. Called the local volunteer FD and like champs, they came out and put it out. Had their bulldozer with them (something like 4-5 acres lit up on the back side of big hill). They saw that I had yet another huge pile to burn so they figured while they were out, they'd prep my next fire.
Dozer dude took his dozer and cleaned up the edges. Put his ripper down and ripped a trench all the way around the fire. When they left they said the fire was as ready as it could be to burn...other than perhaps rain.
That friday, we had rain allllllllllllllllllllll day. Rain quit at 3:00 or 4:00. I got home and everything was pretty wet at say, 6:00. I started the fire.
Fast forward to 3:00 A.M. and I'm still at the fire. I saw a flashlight bobbing through the woods. Seems someone across the lake thought this side of the lake was on fire and called it in. It was not the fire department but the Sheriff.
Long story short, the conversation was essentially:
"Evening Officer"
"What you doing boy?" (boy? hmm.... not sounding like a good start)
"I'm burning a slash pile"
"yes.. someone from the village (across the lake) called it in.... I've been looking for you for about the last hour"
"ok?"
"What do you plan on doing with the fire?"
(huh?)
"Burn it??"
"how do you plan on putting the fire
out?"
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!
"Well Officer, I wasn't going to. I have my burn permit, cell phone in case something gets out of hand. I also have my loader/backhoe here with me so I can attempt to manage things in the event of something getting out of hand"
"You
do know don't you that you're required to be here while the fire is burning?"
(looking at my watch)
"Well officer, it's 3:00 a.m. and I'm here!"
"uh... ok, well.... carry on....."
Personally I think he was looking for a reason to bust some chops. Maybe not mine... but I kept feeling as though he was poking a bit at me. Perhaps the call interrupted his nap or something. Regardless, I had all my basis covered so there really wasn't anything he could do.
He left.
I stayed until about 3:30, maybe 4:00 and then went home to bed.
What you don't see in this picture is I had TWO piles with a dirt "road" between them. I had both piles lit so it was a pretty remarkable fire when they both lit off. Took a while to get them cooking and I found myself adjusting my vantage point to help keep warm (cold night).
I figure permits are my friend.
