How do you burn piles?

[ToadHill]

I throw some old roofing shingles in the piles as I build them up. They will burn hot and long to keep everything cooking . I got the idea several years ago when I burned a big pile of shingles and 2 days later when I mixed up the pile I still had a red hot core in the middle.

 

[tallyho8]

Since I spread the ashes in my pasture after burning, I make sure NOT to burn anything with nails in it because this = flat tractor tires and crippled horses.

 

[Tractorbeam]

Third picture is reloading the fire with the tractor on top of coals. I sit and watch the fire a lot with my machine ready to put out any rogue fires.

Good idea there, having a handy can of High Life just in case the fire gets out of control.

 

[chucko]

In the goves down here I seem them put a few old tires in the fire to make it hotter

 

[KentT]

I'd be careful burning either shingles or old tires -- in you live in a "environmental friendly" area. Often burning them is prohibited, and they give off a black, black smoke that is very visible and an odor that doesn't lie... Know what your local laws are before you start.

Even though I typically start a fire with paper, I've found a small pump sprayer (garden sprayer type) with a couple gallons of diesel or kerosene to be quite valuable in getting a good hot fire going. For example, if it is calm with no breeze, you can "lead" the fire to go all the way around the other side of the pile, by adjusting the nozzle and squirting a small stream (not a fine spray), then trace an unbroken path to where you want it to spread. The fire will safely follow the trail of fuel. I don't have a gas-powered blower (only electrical) and so i've had to find other ways to get a good, hot fire going.

CAUTION: Don't pump up a lot of pressure -- you want to just be able to squirt a small stream a few feet -- and make sure you've adjusted the nozzle to stream not spray.


Couple of other tips that have worked for me:

1. Don't put a dense mat of small stuff down on the ground. A fire must get plenty of air to burn. Instead, make sure there are lots of passages for air to get into the bottom of the pile. (Think the Boy Scount examples of "log cabins" or "teepees" made of fireword before starting the fire.) Instead, put the smaller stuff on the top of the pile. Then pile up your kindling (pitch pine or "fat pine" is the absolute best), paper, or whatever you're using in one concentrated spot and light it. Your objective is to get flames going large enough to reach up through the pile and catch the smaller stuff on fire that you placed on the top of the pile. Once that small stuff on top ignites, it will create a draft up through the pile, pulling the air into and up through the pile...

2. You can make excellent waterproof firestarting material by recycling the remains of old candles, parafin or sealing wax. Melt it, then soak strips of corrugated cardboard in the melted wax. Makes great fire-starters, burns hot, and is easliy lit, even when it is wet and damp outside -- the safest time to burning slash piles, as mentioned earlier...

 

[Wayne County Hose]

If you have a volunteer fire company, see if they can come burn the whole pile on drill night. They do that around here. We make a donation at the same time, and they get their drill in. You also don't have to worry about your burn getting out of control.

 

[davitk]

gosh, all this talk about dino fuels in the fire, think we must be a bunch of pyros or something Wood (and leaves, needles, etc.) is as good a fuel as anything if stacked with lighting in mind, so I pull out the blow torch and light her up, then go back every couple of hours with a garden rake to consolidate the unburnt. I DO NOT drive a tractor into the coals, I see what they do to the the bottom of my boots, can't imagine it being good for R4's.

 

[dmccarty]

I DO NOT drive a tractor into the coals, I see what they do to the the bottom of my boots, can't imagine it being good for R4's.

You use the FEL to push the coals into the fire. You don't drive on 'em.

Check your local regulations. In NC I had to have a burn permit if I was burning on land on which I did not reside. At least that was the reg years ago. If you lived on the place then you could burn.

The NC regs also said only Diesel to start the fire. If the Fire Marshal or Forestry guy saw a tire or tire remains you had a problem. Also buring scrap was a no no. The Start Forestry department is about 4 miles from my place. I don't want any trouble. They had to come out with a dozer and stop a fire a neighbor started in his yard.

In Wake county I don't think they allow burning of slash anymore for land clearing. I see it being mulched up nowadays.

Later,
Dan

 

[davitk]

You use the FEL to push the coals into the fire. You don't drive on 'em.

Later,
Dan

oh

 

[chucko]

I don't see how a tire could be any worse than fuel oil and old tires are cheep. I assume if your burning piles of trees you not near enough to town where the ego cops will came after you
tries are cheeper than diesal that is for sure.... anyhow what about a few road flares to "get it going"?