My Evolution of Burning Fires

[rv7charlie]

My next door neighbor flies fire patrol for the state forestry commission. From the air, he's watched burn piles spread until they burned peoples' houses down while they ran around helplessly, thinking they were doing some good with a water hose or shovel. Often happens way too fast for any fire dept to get there, and a lot of rural fire depts are equipped primarily to wet down the ashes, anyway. I've had to personally stop (on multiple occasions) runaway fires across shared property started by one of my other neighbors (a firebug for burn piles) when he made irrational decisions about burning. After the last incident where he burned up equipment related to two of our gates, he's now forbidden to burn anywhere except his personally owned property.

I decided a long time ago that there's a lot less work (and a lot safer, and a lot cleaner) in just throwing unwanted wood into a pile & leaving it. I get free labor from a lot of tiny but energetic workers, as the wood decomposes & helps grow new wood.

 

[oldpilot]

Local rules require burning after dark and with a permit unless there's snow on the ground, so I burn once a year when snow is on the ground. I do have to phone the fire department to say I'm burning.

The fire-starter is a few balled-up copies of the Wall Street Journal, a few pieces of split firewood, and a bucket of crankcase drainings.

 

[jcman]

I had a small burn pile when we first moved to our 23 acres 20 years ago. I decided that I didn't have them much stuff to burn so just started a couple brush piles for the rabbits and little birds. The piles slowly rot down and I add to them a little each year. Birds and rabbits love them and no smoke or CO2 going into the neighborhood.

 

[kubota shifty]

My next door neighbor flies fire patrol for the state forestry commission. From the air, he's watched burn piles spread until they burned peoples' houses down while they ran around helplessly, thinking they were doing some good with a water hose or shovel. Often happens way too fast for any fire dept to get there, and a lot of rural fire depts are equipped primarily to wet down the ashes, anyway. I've had to personally stop (on multiple occasions) runaway fires across shared property started by one of my other neighbors (a firebug for burn piles) when he made irrational decisions about burning. After the last incident where he burned up equipment related to two of our gates, he's now forbidden to burn anywhere except his personally owned property.

I decided a long time ago that there's a lot less work (and a lot safer, and a lot cleaner) in just throwing unwanted wood into a pile & leaving it. I get free labor from a lot of tiny but energetic workers, as the wood decomposes & helps grow new wood.

And lots of rats.

 

[Ghost River Retrievers]

I learned about burning piles from a USDA "fire chief." I first clip the grass/hay/weeds around the pile as low as my rotary cutter will go. To get a complete burn, noting wind direction, I'll start with a back burn on the leeward side, after roughly 1/3 - 1/2 is burned, I'll start the windward side. The only tool I've used to control the fires has been a leaf blower ... never needed a drop of H2O ... if a finger of fire starts moving too far from the pile, I just blow it back toward the pile.
Ghost River Retrievers

 

[GeneV]

I'm not as ambitious as you guys:

 

[Buzzard7]

I started my burning career with burning sticks in the burn barrel behind the house. Then I graduated to using a rake and pitch fork in piles on the ground. After that I started drinking beer with music, friends and hot dogs while burning bigger piles with the rake, chainsaw, axe and pitchfork. Cleared about a 1/4 acre of brush and trees at my parents house burning and drinking everything in site. It took a lot of beer and late nights to clear that land!!

As I got older, I quit drinking, bought house, land and tractor. Started bigger fires and used the tractor bucket to clean up around the fire. Bought a grapple and started really burning piles of brush.

View attachment 765042

Finally, I have reached the pinnacle. I now use an excavator and tractor to move and burn even bigger piles of brush/stumps. Don't drink beer anymore though and have money in the pocket.

View attachment 765043View attachment 765044

Also, as with everything else discussed on this site tractor and equipment related, the excavator and tractor are getting smaller everyday and I find my self wanting bigger tractors and excavators!!!! Maybe next thing will be a D9 Dozer!!! As lots of folks on here say, BUY ENOUGH TRACTOR!!!!

 

[wslove]

Burn pile at my buddy's farm in NC about 10 years ago. Haven't had one quite as big since, but maybe 1/4 that size yearly with all the cleanup of trees around the place.

 

[nyone]

I learned about burning piles from a USDA "fire chief." I first clip the grass/hay/weeds around the pile as low as my rotary cutter will go. To get a complete burn, noting wind direction, I'll start with a back burn on the leeward side, after roughly 1/3 - 1/2 is burned, I'll start the windward side. The only tool I've used to control the fires has been a leaf blower ... never needed a drop of H2O ... if a finger of fire starts moving too far from the pile, I just blow it back toward the pile.
Ghost River Retrievers

If you can burn the grass around your burn pile your burning at the wrong time of year or wrong day. All it takes is one spark to fly away.

 

[ning]

It's getting harder and harder to have a burn pile in CA. Calfire charges over $100 for a burn permit besides a yearly tax of over $100 AND more fees in the property taxes. To burn you have to notify the fire dept. that morning and confirm it is a burn day. Here it is only green/wet in the winter so burning can't happen after April. My neighbors and I have piles so large they sometimes burn for multiple days.

Burn permits here are free.
Sign up online, sign your copy, have it with you for when they stop by.

Yes, you're supposed to check if it's a burn day (website or phone).

Don't have to notify anyone here, and we're in the highest fire danger tier area.
Burn permits are required about May 1 onwards; you're supposed to check if it's a burn day regardless of permit required. Burn permit only allows a 4x4 fire, which IMO isn't enough to burn clean, and my piles are typically 6-8' diameter and very visible from the road.
I've never had anyone stop and ask for my permit.