How long to wait to burn fresh timber?

DmansPadge · Jul 4, 2005

Hey guys. I just bought another 1/2 acre next to my land and had it cleared. It was heavily wooded and filled with brush. I have a mixture of pine, oak, sweet gum, and about anything else you could imagine that I need to burn. How long should I let it sit before I start to burn?

Thanks!

Gatorboy · Jul 4, 2005

Do you need a permit to burn? Here in Maryland even when they issue a permit you cannot burn from I think May through September. It has to do with the humidity which keeps the smoke from disappaiting well.

If you can burn this time of year, you can light your pile anytime -- once that pile gets hot, it doesn't matter how fresh it is ... it will dry out quickly in the fire. Soak some old rags in diesel and light.

If you were going to use the wood in a fireplace, then waiting would be something you would want to do.

sneaky_pete · Jul 4, 2005

Congratulations on your new acquisition Ron. The land right next to my place is for sale, and the price has recently come down, but I just don't know if I want the extra taxes and insurance.

I usually let my burn pile dry out for several months before lighting it, but I don't know if it really makes a difference. The one time that I hard time getting a big pile lit, I got out the old leaf blower (from the last house in town - never blow leaves now) and that had it burning brightly in no time.

turnkey4099 · Jul 4, 2005

You can burn it anytime. I have burned anywhere from day of cutting to a year later. An aid to getting the fire started are fireplace logs - light one near bottom of pile on upwind side, feed it some smaller stuff. Dose with diesel also is a big help. Once started a good sized pile will burn even grass green.

Harry K

LarryD · Jul 4, 2005

I've seen burn piles (including mine) torched the same day. A little bit of diesel, like a couple gals., will certainly get it started.

Not sure if they are available there but the rental yards around here carry a gas powered fan that you aim at the fire and cut your burn time down significantly. It makes for such a hot fire there is less ash in the air and less smoke. If you've got neighbors near by, they'll appreciate it.

BB_TX · Jul 5, 2005

What I cut in spring and early summer, I burn in mid fall while the grass is still green. What I cut in the fall and winter, I burn in late spring or early summer while the grass is still green. I don't burn in winter or mid summer when the grass is dry.
The drier the brush and limbs, the faster it burns and the less ashes you will have when it finishes.

Nasty135 · Jul 5, 2005

DmansPadge, I usally wait about 4-6 months to give the wood a chance to dry out. It will light quicker ,burn faster with much less smoke /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

Now for my NEXT Door neighbor!! There was this locust tree between our properties, Storm blows it over (his yard /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif)So I offer to help him cut it up , I end up cutting the whole thing, he takes half the wood and all the brush(which he tried to burn that evening and at least once a week till it dried out enough to be successful)....and his lighting method was gasoline with a BOOM!!! which would burn out in a few minutes /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

Anyhow unless you have a very hot fire its best wait for the wood to dry out a while... At least that my method

DmansPadge · Jul 5, 2005

Thanks guys. Looks like I might have to wait anyway. The county is considering a burn ban due to the lack of rain. Almost all the surrounding counties have already instated one.

I don't have to have a permit where I'm at. I also have access to a bunch of 10 yr. old diesel that was sucked from a broken generator that had a 400 gal. tank.

I don't know how true this is... but, the guy that ran the dozer said about 9 days is just right to burn. He claimed it has something to do with the sap forming a gas that will burn very well? Anyone ever heard of that theory?

Thanks

Highbeam · Jul 6, 2005

If the pile is stacked tight and high and also clean of dirt it should burn well even when green. I have had a very hard time burning green debris in "dozer piles", meaning low wide dirty piles.

Once the fire is going, the fire burns the water out of the green debris and then it burns up. The total fire is cooler since energy is wasted evaporating water.

I would wait until the fall rains if you can. Some of the loggers even throw plastic over the piles to keep the rain and snow from wetting the wood. They leave the plastic on when starting the fire.

FL_Cracker · Jul 6, 2005

Burn it green. It will do just fine. A little trick I use is to cut the top out of a soda can,oor it 1/2 full of gas, stick a paper towel in it like a wick and light it. Start with a large pile of the samll stuff and start adding the larger stuff as the fire gets bigger. The little gas can in the bottom will burn for a long time and keep things going....

If needed be sure to get a permit.

DmansPadge · Jul 6, 2005

Well.. looks like they are going to hold off on the burn ban. It is still on the table but probably will be at least two more weeks at the earliest. We also have the possibility of Hurricane Danny coming our way! /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif I wouldn't mind some rain.... but I can do without a hurricane! I think I might try one of the piles this weekend as long as the weather stays dry.

As yeah.. they are "dozer piles." The backhoe cleaned up the stumps pretty good and there is very little dirt shoved up in the pile. I do have my little Kubota to shove on the pile if I can get a good hot fire going. I'm just ready to get it cleaned up.... I'm pretty impatiant! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif But if I have to wait a few months I can deal with that as well.

turnkey4099 · Jul 7, 2005

( Burn it green. It will do just fine. A little trick I use is to cut the top out of a soda can,oor it 1/2 full of gas, stick a paper towel in it like a wick and light it. Start with a large pile of the samll stuff and start adding the larger stuff as the fire gets bigger. The little gas can in the bottom will burn for a long time and keep things going....

If needed be sure to get a permit.
)

Gas is a poor choice as well as dangerous. Diesel will work much better and burn longer without the flash problem.

Harry K

Highbeam · Jul 7, 2005

Your loader can stack the debris much higher than a dozer. A trick I learned is to start a good camp fire with firewood beside or even underneath the slash pile. Get this firewood fire going real good with a good bed of coals. I use the log cabin method with 5 or six layers of firewood layed 90 degrees each layer. Once the hot bed it established, push the pile over on top of it. You can add diesel while the fire is burning but I would avoid the gas can as a general rule.

Here is a pic of my last attempt. It was still too wet and the slash was too large. This was a mostly diesel fire. The pile is still there waiting to dry for another attempt. Maybe this weekend.

DmansPadge · Jul 7, 2005

I wish mine where that small! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif I've got three piles about 4-5 times that size. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif Ugghh...

Highbeam · Jul 7, 2005

That red can is a diesel can. FYI

This pile is a baby that I pushed/peeled off of a big pile to start. I am still a little leary of starting a monster pile by myself without a permit. I planned to feed the fire with more debris as needed or to start a separate fire if this one went well.

turnkey4099 · Jul 8, 2005

Your problem is the pile is spread out to far and not high enough. That stuff piled in a small high pile would burn just fine once started. What is the vehicle? parked next to the pile, can't make it out, looks interesting.

My smallest pile for this year is bigger than that, the biggest one would bury my entire truck and car parked end to end and is about 12ft high now. Still growing (sideways, not taller). Gonna be fun next winter.

Harry K

turnkey4099 · Jul 8, 2005

( That red can is a diesel can. FYI

This pile is a baby that I pushed/peeled off of a big pile to start. I am still a little leary of starting a monster pile by myself without a permit. I planned to feed the fire with more debris as needed or to start a separate fire if this one went well. )

Aha, that explains the spread out pile. Looks like it would have worked if you had bunched it and added more with the fire going as well as it shows.

Harry K

tillerkiller · Jul 8, 2005

( the guy that ran the dozer said about 9 days is just right to burn. )

I heard that if you burn a pile of evergreens within one week they will burn completely up. Dunno, never tried it.

Highbeam · Jul 8, 2005

The pickup in the foreground is the only vehicle. There is a lawn mower in the bed and a generator with a yellow extension cord stowed on it. I think it is photo trickery since there was nothing close to the fire but a fan waiting for duty.

That pile is about 6 feet tall but 12 feet or so wide. The dozer can push stuff but not lift and stack. I agree that the proper height to width ratio should be better for the fire to work well. This pile would have burned well if it was dry but not wet. I would like to see 3 or so of those piles stacked for a good burn.

That fire smoldered for about a week and a half but still looks about the same.

BB_TX · Jul 8, 2005

I heard that if you burn a pile of evergreens within one week they will burn completely up 
Don't know about when they are green. But when they are dry, it is like lighting a torch. I always let my piles dry completely before I burn. If I have any cedars I try to stuff them under one side of the pile with some smaller brush on top. I then light the dried cedar and stand back. It burns hot and fast and I usually don't need any diesel to get the pile started.
Never had very good luck burning green stuff, even with a lot of dry stuff to get it going. Seems there is always a lot of partially burned stuff left over. With the well dried stuff, there is barely a pile of ashes left.