Burn Barrel

[Jim in Sask]

I've always used a burning barrel. When burning I lay a 2-foot square piece of expanded metal mesh over the top to keep embers from blowing out.

 

[DoubleO7]

The laws here...........................

Environmental Quality Department (292)

Oklahoma DEQ provides environmental programs and resources to ensure clean air, safe water, and proper waste management statewide.

www.deq.ok.gov

Click on "burning"

Oklahoma SIP: OK 252:100-13 Prohibition of Open Burning | US EPA

Oklahoma SIP: OK 252:100-13 Prohibition of Open Burning

www.epa.gov

Lists the same exceptions as above.

The only time there would be an absolute ban, would be during county burn bans due to drought, and danger of wildfire.

I'm not crazy about the practice, but at present, it's our only alternative. They closed the local transfer station around the first of the year.

Except you missed this blurb/rule:
"Open burning of rubber, plastic and other materials is prohibited
because it can produce hazardous air pollutants such as dioxins, polycyclic
aromatic hydrocarbons, formaldehyde and hydrochloric acid."

Which is found in the first embedded link in your FAQ article link.

Which is this pdf: https://www.deq.ok.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/OpenBurningAndYou.pdf

 

[m16ty]

Used to have burn barrels. I burned through them. I now use a 38 inch tractor rim supported off the ground about 4 inches. Will burn just about anything when it gets hot enough.

That is exactly what I use. Last much longer than a barrel.

 

[m16ty]

Here in NH when you go for a required permit for open fire of barrel it tells you very specifically what is allowed and what is not and what are the pertinent laws and the potential fines for breaking the laws. Until recently I was a long time member of our fire dept. Over the last twenty or so years there was a list of maybe 25 residents names compiled who could not get permits.

But do you think that stopped them from burning?
Local farmer was clearing a lot of land and had a bunch of brush piles. He was burning and the local FD came by and gave him a fine of $25 for burning without a permit. He went ahead and handed the Chief a couple 100 dollars and said “ this should cover about a weeks worth”.

 

[shaun wallace]

For what short time I lived in city as a kid and adult trash has been burned in some sort barrel , Used 55 gal drums, top load washers, dad rigged a fridge on time, Just mine yesterday. Only thing I dont burn is glass and veg, fruit, pet food tin cans.

 

[Ray,IN]

Here we used to be able to use 2 car tires to burn a brushpile. That got stopped, now you can throw them into a landfill/trash if they are cut into at least 3 pieces to keep them from eventually floating to the top.
Open burning is permitted when weather conditions permit.
Many decades ago a man set a brushpile on fire on his property, then left to go home 60 miles away. Fire turned into a wildfire, our fire dept. was called. We got it put out after dark, and the DNR officer who was there looked up the property owner, drove to his house, arrested him and brought him back to our county jail. He conveniently locked the guy up on a Friday evening so it was Monday before the guy could post bail.

 

[ratface]

I got two yesterday. Yep, take out both ends which makes it easy to clean up. Just lift barrel and shovel into something otherwise they rust out at the level of accumulated ash and literally break in half. To remove ends take a grinder to the inside rim and grind edge of rim until you see a seam. Then use a BFH to pound on the top, it will separate cleanly without any sharp edges. I have literally rehabbed an entire house burning anything that will burn, paneling, doors, insulation, carpeting, cabinets, if it burned it went in or on top of the barrel. I am in NW Illinois and no one has ever questioned the smoke that pours out of it. I am very rural but see people in the nearby town burning right in the city limits. I keep my burn barrel well away and downwind of any buildings and do not burn on windy days.

 

[flying belgian]

I got two yesterday. Yep, take out both ends which makes it easy to clean up. Just lift barrel and shovel into something otherwise they rust out at the level of accumulated ash and literally break in half. To remove ends take a grinder to the inside rim and grind edge of rim until you see a seam. Then use a BFH to pound on the top, it will separate cleanly without any sharp edges. I have literally rehabbed an entire house burning anything that will burn, paneling, doors, insulation, carpeting, cabinets, if it burned it went in or on top of the barrel. I am in NW Illinois and no one has ever questioned the smoke that pours out of it. I am very rural but see people in the nearby town burning right in the city limits. I keep my burn barrel well away and downwind of any buildings and do not burn on windy days.

Pa took down a large 2 story henhouse one winter and burned it piece by piece in a barrel.

 

[showcrop]

But do you think that stopped them from burning?
Local farmer was clearing a lot of land and had a bunch of brush piles. He was burning and the local FD came by and gave him a fine of $25 for burning without a permit. He went ahead and handed the Chief a couple 100 dollars and said “ this should cover about a weeks worth”.

Yes, it pretty much always seemed to. Someone always calls in a fire and dispatch checks against list of permits for the day. Repeat offenders get stronger and stronger enforcement until it gets their attention. Your local farmer if here would have been up to $2500 for the third one. Do you think that he would have gone for the fourth?

 

[Steven Allen]

Regardless whether legal or not, there are certain things you DON'T want to ever burn due to extremely toxic compounds being released that will harm your own health being anywhere near it. Anything with vinyl in it, such as PVC (PolyVinyl Chloride) releases dioxins which is toxic at microscopic levels, one of the most toxic substances on earth.

Tried burning an old BBQ Grill cover once. Nasty, noxious thing. Will never make THAT mistake again.

 

[Steven Allen]

For you it would be the DNR........................

Facts on Open Burning Under Missouri Regulations - PUB2047 | Missouri Department of Natural Resources

Open burning is the burning of any materials in which air contaminants are emitted directly into the air without first passing through a stack or chimney. This fact sheet summarizes allowable and prohibited open burning under Missouri regulations. It does not include open burning restrictions...

dnr.mo.gov

Interesting details there; thanks for that (you saved me the trouble of searching).

I wonder how they treat the line between petroleum products for fire starting and, say, BBQ Lighter fluid or propane--I suspect it means no waste oil. Have seen gas and diesel used in the past. Propane is more effective but can be more costly. There are other means, of course, but time is important, too.

 

[m16ty]

Yes, it pretty much always seemed to. Someone always calls in a fire and dispatch checks against list of permits for the day. Repeat offenders get stronger and stronger enforcement until it gets their attention. Your local farmer if here would have been up to $2500 for the third one. Do you think that he would have gone for the fourth?

No, I don’t think he would have went to $2,500. I actually think they changed the law since then, mainly because of that one guy.
At the time this happened though, the law just stated $25 per offense, with no provision for increase.

 

[m16ty]

I mainly burn cardboard boxes and paper trash in mine. I know I should recycle, but the local trash drop off place has you break the boxes down before they will take them. I’d probably recycle if it was convenient, but before I break them all down I’ll just burn them.

 

[showcrop]

I mainly burn cardboard boxes and paper trash in mine. I know I should recycle, but the local trash drop off place has you break the boxes down before they will take them. I’d probably recycle if it was convenient, but before I break them all down I’ll just burn them.

If you don't break them down they would take up the better part of the space of a burn barrel. So you stand there and feed them?

 

[m16ty]

If you don't break them down they would take up the better part of the space of a burn barrel. So you stand there and feed them?

They will burn up about as fast as I can dump them in. If you break them down they sit too close together and don’t burn as well.

 

[redtom]

I cut out both ends and place over a hole. When hole gets full of ashes, move to new spot. I also burn several sets of holes 1/3 up in sides and put bars through to make a grate.