Burning trees:

[Bandit44]

If you have got a large pile of trees to burn what is the best way to go about burning them? I have several large piles that I have windrowed up and need to get rid of them. Thanks for any suggestions.

 

[bobcat ron]

Throw some old rubber tires under the pile, soak in gas/diesel/used oil mix, throw flaming wadded up news papers at fire (or flaming arrow, whatever floats your boat) and break out the weenies.

 

[Noose]

Mmm rubber/ diesel smoked weenies?:badidea :throwup

 

[digger242j]

Not to mention the fact that while it may be legal to burn the trees in some localities, it may well be illegal to burn the tires there.

 

[Steve Frazier]

Do any of that in NY and you'll be facing a hefty fine. What I do is start a fire with newspaper and dry brush, keep feeding it until you have a large bonfire. Then start pushing the trees up onto the fire. Don't move the coals, just push up on to them. I've done a lot of burning this way and it's legal.

 

[Dirtman2007]

Throw some old rubber tires under the pile, soak in gas/diesel/used oil mix, throw flaming wadded up news papers at fire (or flaming arrow, whatever floats your boat) and break out the weenies.

I'm guilty...

If I'm out in the sticks a tire or two can be an option, but I mainly use diesel fuel.I like to get a bail or two of straw/hay and soak about a gallon of diesel fuel on each, his will act as a starter log and will burn for about 30 minutes/ long enough to get some hot coals started.

 

[d6peg]

Banditt44,
If you use tires only do it when it is foggy.

 

[bobcat ron]

The tires are just used as a starter to build up the heat in case there is wet wood in the pile.

 

[SouthOnBeach]

make sure its legal to burn them right now is the first thing. lot of fire bans down south.
id go with diesel soked hay anad some kinda blower to get it burnin hot.

 

[Countryboy]

The tires are just used as a starter to build up the heat in case there is wet wood in the pile.

That doesn't make it any better for the people who you are forcing to come into contact with the noxious smoke from the tires in your fire. By no means am I an environmentalist fanatic but read the quote below and see if you want to breathe that junk.

Quoted from one of the many sites about the health and environmental hazards of tire burning.

"Air emissions from open tire fires have been shown to be more toxic (e.g., mutagenic) than those of a combustor, regardless of the fuel. Open tire fire emissions include "criteria" pollutants, such as particulates, carbon monoxide (CO), sulfur oxides (SO2), oxides of nitrogen (NOx), and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). They also include "non-criteria" hazardous air pollutants (HAPs), such as polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), dioxins, furans, hydrogen chloride, benzene, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs); and metals such as arsenic, cadmium, nickel, zinc, mercury, chromium, and vanadium. Both criteria and HAP emissions from an open tire fire can represent significant acute (short-term) and chronic (long-term) health hazards to firefighters and nearby residents. Depending on the length and degree of exposure, these health effects could include irritation of the skin, eyes, and mucous membranes, respiratory effects, central nervous system depression, and cancer. Firefighters and others working near a large tire fire should be equipped with respirators and dermal protection. Unprotected exposure to the visible smoke plume should be avoided.

"Data from a laboratory test program on uncontrolled burning of tire pieces and ambient monitoring at open tire fires are presented and the emissions are characterized. Mutagenic emission data from open burning of scrap tires are compared to other types of fuel combustion. Open tire fire emissions are estimated to be 16 times more mutagenic than residential wood combustion in a fireplace, and 13,000 times more mutagenic than coal-fired utility emissions with good combustion efficiency and add-on controls.
link

Now that its been determined that burning tires is not a good solution because of its serious hazard to people and the environment, and since its probably illegal in most parts of the US, lets get back on topic with some other ways to get debris burning?

 

[Deas Plant]

Starting a timber fire.

Hi, Bandit44.
Just twixt you and me, tires and treated timber are about the last things I'd have anywhere near a heap of burning timber - 'cos both give off toxic gases. Tires also give off an awful lot of fairly disticntive black smoke, not a good thing these days when so many authorities have declared it a 'bad' practice. Sorta like hanging out a sign saying, "Come and arrest me".

A mixture of 1 part gasoline to 4 parts of diesel fuel is what our bush fire fighters use in their drip torches for lighting scrub and grass for back burning. The sugar cane farmers use a similar mixture to light the cane when burning it off before harvesting. It works pretty well for starting a heap of logs too.

If there are any twigs up to - about 1/4" - and leaves, gather them and use them as the starter, with the addition of some of the above gas/deisel mixture and maybe some paper.

In a bushfire, it is the small twigs to about 1/4" and the leaves and grasses that burn quickest and put out the most heat. They are also the things that will get your logs going quickest.

Go, you pyromaniac, you. LOL

 

[pushcat]

One easy thing I've learned is to watch the weather forecast to see what way the wind will be blowing. Start your fire on the side so that the wind will push it into the pile. If you have a big pile that might take a couple days to burn the wind might switch, so you have to plan accordingly, like maybe saving some tops or a couple of dead dry trees to restoke the fire in the morning. And try not to work the pile too much untill you get a good pile of coals cooking.

 

[Bandit44]

Thanks for all the information both good and not so good. The main problem is all this is going to take place close to a bank and a business. Do you think I will have any complaints about all the smoke? Do you think I should ask about a burning permit?

 

[Deas Plant]

Smoke and burning permit.

Hi, Bandit44.
In that case, I would definitely ask about a burning permit and I'd also pick a day when the wind is in your favour, ie. blowing away from the buildings. Once the main rush of the fire is gone, most of the smoke will have gone also. It's usually when you first light up that you get the most smoke.

 

[Bandit44]

Thanks Deas Plant, I think I will ask about the permit. Folks are kinda funny these days about stirring up trouble about things that people use to not think anything about. In other words some people are just hard to please.

 

[Deas Plant]

Other people's business.

Hi, Bandit44.
Yep, some people's lives are so dull and uninteresting that they just HAVE to mind other people's business for something to do.

 

[Northart]

Clearing Debris Disposal?

Hi Bandit44,

Have you thought about Chipping the debris ? Getting so burning is banned in many places, so they are chipping and burying the chips in nonbuilding areas, or hauling off.

Not to long ago Burn Boxes were used. 40 cy model, fed with a loader. They had a diesel driven fan pushing air across the top , feeding oxygen to the fire.

Others used trenches dug into the land with blower fans attached to a tube, much like a window defroster, feeding oxygen to the fire.

Push fans on the Cat 977,955 crawler loaders and D7 dozers really fed oxygen to the fire when stoked . Had to back up in a hurry, fire got hot in a hurry. LOL

 

[Steve Frazier]

In my area, burn permits are issued at the town level, so check with your town clerk on that. Read the permit carefully, the restrictions of what you can and can't burn should be written on it, and it will probably say the fire must be attended at all times. I usually pick a damp day to burn to ensure there are no accidents. Wet wood will burn after you get a little heat going.

Since you are in an urban area, make sure you read all the rules carefully and follow them. You can be sure that someone will drop a dime on you if they see something not quite right. The fines here for violations are outrageous, up to $10,000! It's also a good idea to let your fire dispatcher know what you are doing so you don't get a bunch of fire equipment showing up to ruin your day.

I was doing some burning here and someone from 3 miles away called about the smoke. Had the fire department here ready to make me put out my pile. Showed them the permit, it was a damp day and I had my machine at the ready to control the fire, Chief said "looks good to me" and they were on their way.

 

[Cat420]

Depending on what town, burning can be simple by me. The last time we had a permit good for a couple of months. You just had to call the non-emergency 911 number to let them know when you started and finished burning for the day.

I also saw a guy clear a few acres across from one of our jobs and he just piled up everything and let it burn whether they were there or not. It burned for days and smoldered for more than a week . I think he was crazy, but it was out in the middle of no where, so I guess he didn't care.

I recommend doing it the right way with permits and such, if for no other reason than to not have to worry about watching over your shoulder while working.

 

[Bandit44]

I had five acres of land that was covered with 95% sweet gum trees. Most of them were 6 to 12 inched in diameter. Would it be best after I get the permit to burn them this winter or let them dry out a while? I have piled up several big piles and am running out of room. I thought about trying to sell them but if someone had cut them then you would have had all those stumps to push up.