Please help! I can't really believe this happened!

[MossRoad]

We have a 4 acre plot of alternating white pines and mixed hardwoods now in the 50' high X 12" diameter range. I have a fear of discarded cigarette from the highway taking it all down.

 

[Leejohn]

The 1st thing I would check is that tank the fuel came from. It might save a big repair on his JD.

 

[AWSubie]

When you ignite diesel (or any flammable liquid for that matter) you are igniting the vapor not the liquid. In order for vapor to ignite it must have the appropriate fuel/air (vapor/oxygen) ratio. As has been previously stated, diesel vapor is heavier than air.

My guess is that your acquaintance poured the diesel on an area of brush that was relatively deep, say 6-12 inches in depth which allowed the fuel to run to the bottom of pile while he placed his bucket at a distance from the pile.

When he returned to ignite the pile enough time had passed to allow a cloud of diesel vapor to accumulate within the brush and of course there was unlimited air above that cloud to sustain combustion.

Here is something to think about:

1/4 cup of diesel has the equivalent energy of 2 1/4 sticks of dynamite. Granted the diesel would have to be in a vapor state to ignite but .....

 

[Industrial Toys]

More and more, I throw the branches back onto the fence rows. Not as nice to look at but environmentally more friendly. And now, the bark off splitting wood, which apparently has much nutrition always gets thrown back on a fence row and not on a fire.

I was looking for something else and found this.Man Accidentally Sets Fire To Garden Trying To Kill Bug - YouTube

It's not so much dumb as people just have no experience in certain matters.

 

[Jstpssng]

Getting back to the OP (Who apparently joined to start this thread and hasn't posted since) please let us know how your friend is doing. It's bad enough that you had to deal with the hurricane...

 

[k0ua]

More and more, I throw the branches back onto the fence rows. Not as nice to look at but environmentally more friendly. And now, the bark off splitting wood, which apparently has much nutrition always gets thrown back on a fence row and not on a fire.

I was looking for something else and found this.Man Accidentally Sets Fire To Garden Trying To Kill Bug - YouTube

It's not so much dumb as people just have no experience in certain matters.

You need to file that video in the "too stupid to live" folder..

 

[CntryBoy]

Getting back to the OP (Who apparently joined to start this thread and hasn't posted since) please let us know how your friend is doing. It's bad enough that you had to deal with the hurricane...

Well, as I said in my opening post, I stumbled upon this site while researching properties of diesel. I do apologize for not posting sooner. My friend is doing as well as can be expected, just painful debridement of the wounds and staying bandaged up not being allowed to do much at all. My intentions are to finish doing my research, perform my experiment, then get back to y'all with the results. Thanks again to all who contributed.

 

[AWSubie]

Please take an exceedingly cautious approach with your experimentation.

 

[Jstpssng]

Please take an exceedingly cautious approach with your experimentation.

I second that sentiment.

 

[Fuddy1952]

My largest brush pile the problem is it's straight in front about 100 yards from our friends/neighbors screened in porch which they enjoy sitting there but pile now is like a 1500 sq.ft. 2 story house. Years of accumulation and they want it gone, ruins their view.