How to Burn Big Logs

[EddieWalker]

It seems the further you get away from the coasts, both east and west, the fewer regulations you have. I enjoy reading what the members here have to go through in the New England state with fasination and horror. California was just as bad, almost as bad and worse in some conditions.

Here in Texas, if you live outside city limits, there are almost no rules. In fact, the burn ban is the only one I'm aware of. People recomend usuing diesel, oil and even tires to get fires started. There's no such thing as a limit on the size of the tree, nor how many or what trees you can take down and burn.

For us, trees are like weeds. They take over and it's very, very hard to have a pasture here. Sweet gum, black oak and long leaf pine sill sprout and grow several feet in a year if you don't keep mowing them down.

We have a burn ban in effect right now, and most everyone respects it. When the rains start again and we get back to normal, than we're all free to burn every tree on our land that we want to. Or not. hahaha

It's sure is interesting to read everyone elses situations.

Eddie

 

[InlineDieselFan]

Turning into the legal can/cannot burn thing, here.

As mentioned make sure local rules aloow you to burn logs that big if you cannot give the wood away. Make sure the area around the sooon to be fire is cleared and you are ready to put out any spot fires should they happen.

The smaller the wood is the better/faster it will burn, if you can use the bucket to stack the pile up high, it will also help.

As firemanpat2910 said use a blower, I do not have a leaf blower or gasoline blower, what I use is an electric 20-24 inch fans that I power off of the shop eletric or run the generator, depending on where the burn pile is.

steve

 

[have_blue]

I am clearing out some trees and have created quite a lot of debris. Yesterday, I burned the smaller stuff and most of the larger logs, but I still have 5 or 6 really big logs (30" to 48" diameter) left. (A couple are beech and the rest are oak; all were dead or dying before they were cut.) What is the best way to prep the big ones so they will burn?

Burning logs is easy. I have never had problems. You must stack them parallel, and closely together... touching if you can. A green log will not burn alone. Make sure there is little or no dirt pushed up into the burn pile, as that smothers the fire. Avoid diesel or oil, as it cools the logs as it burns and evaporates. The flames are hot for sure, but the logs themselves never get real hot. Diesel or oil is good to start brush, but not logs. Start with paper, add kindling, then larger sticks. Start it with 1 match. If the logs are stacked closely and properly kindled, they will burn no matter how green they are. As they burn and separate, keep pushing them close together.

I lost 6 big oaks in hurricane Lili, and burned them in 2 days. My neighbor threw diesel on his trees several nights a week for nearly a year before he gave up loaded them on a trash trailer.

 

[PineRidge]

When we were clearing our property prior to building we had some HUGE fires. We would get a good one going from using the smaller stuff and once we got a good base of hot embers we would pile on the big stuff. Some of our fires lasted days.

Freaked me out once as we had one of those babies going and the local police stopped by to ask us if we saw some kids on 4-wheelers that they were chasing. They never said a word about the fire.....

 

[Bill Barrett]

I've always been amazed how fast a huge log will burn, couple days and its gone. In the good old days used tires was the ticket to start logs, now I think they will get you a EPA ticket LOL

 

[tracecom]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I tried burning the logs yesterday with some success, but was hampered by a recalcitrant chain saw. My large saw developed a gas leak and so all I had to use was my small (Stihl 009L) saw, which just wouldn't handle the biggest logs. So I stacked some of the medium sized beech logs and built upon that. We started that pile with the help of a little kerosene and the shape of it drew well and the pile was blazing big in about 30 minutes. After it burned down some, I added the logs that I could lift and put those on top, and they quickly caught up. Unfortunately the two largest logs were too big for the chainsaw and too heavy to lift. I used the FEL to push them up against the side of the burning pile and they caught up and partially burned. It looks like one more burning will get rid of the residue.

P.S. I am buying a new saw to replace my 37 year old McCulloch Pro 700.

P.P.S Yes, that is soot on my nose.

 

[turnkey4099]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I tried burning the logs yesterday with some success, but was hampered by a recalcitrant chain saw. My large saw developed a gas leak and so all I had to use was my small (Stihl 009L) saw, which just wouldn't handle the biggest logs. So I stacked some of the medium sized beech logs and built upon that. We started that pile with the help of a little kerosene and the shape of it drew well and the pile was blazing big in about 30 minutes. After it burned down some, I added the logs that I could lift and put those on top, and they quickly caught up. Unfortunately the two largest logs were too big for the chainsaw and too heavy to lift. I used the FEL to push them up against the side of the burning pile and they caught up and partially burned. It looks like one more burning will get rid of the residue.

P.S. I am buying a new saw to replace my 37 year old McCulloch Pro 700.

P.P.S Yes, that is soot on my nose.

I have 3 huge (as high as I can toss) piles building now and at least one more to go plus several small ones. I am still working on clear cutting a grove of big willows that had a fire go through 5 or 6 years ago, just about got all the dead stuff out. Build fire piles all summer, burn in winter when snow is on ground for safety then on first trip in spring move all the unburned stuff over to start my first new pile.

Re saws: from your pictures it looks like you need about a 20" bar saw. Maybe a bit smaller. If you haven't run the newer saws be prepared for a shock at how much faster they are thkan your old Mac. I stick with Stihl, Husky, and the like in the non-pro lines. Won't buy any saw out of the big box stores, must be a chainsaw dealer as I know I will be needing service if for nothing else than new chains and sharpenings.

Sitting here wasting time...well not wasting as it is nice browsing the net, at 8am. Need to make breakfast and then out to split and stack the load I have on the PU. If I wait long enough the day will be nice and hot when I get out there. Somehow the logic of that escapes me but that seems to be my modus operendi.

Harry K

 

[SkyPup]

I always pile some brush up over the logs after first placing a couple of used truck tires on top of the logs, works like a charm everytime.

 

[fireguy1451]

LOL skypup be a bad time to run outta diesel fuel

 

[MikeS_in_GA]

I am buying a new saw to replace my 37 year old McCulloch Pro 700.


I don't think you need a new chainsaw, you need a bigger tractor with a grapple bucket