Hints on burning a pile of brush/trees

[andy r]

I have tried three times to get a pile of brush and trees to burn during the last 10 days. My neighbor who is a land improvement contractor got two other tree piles to burn completely last week, but mine just will not go. The brush and trees were taken down late last summer before the sap would have went to the roots if that has anything to do with it. We have tried piles of card board, diesel fuel, and engine oil to get this pile going. It burns for a while and quits. His dozer is still sitting there to push the piles in as they burn, just can't get them to go. Any time tested ideas??? Thanks.

 

[Adirondack case guy]

I don't know where you are located, but here in NY we have a burning ban in effect. The ban lasts until mid May or later, determined by the weather and some bureaucrat in the state DEC. The ban makes no scene this time of year because snow and mud do not burn anyway.
It sounds like you need to get a fire going with the smaller twigs, and then add on larger ones. You may need to cut the brush into short pieces to concentrate the fire. We used to use old tires, but that is a NoNo now days.

 

[Geo-TH,In]

It's next to impossible to get brush and sticks to sustain a burn. I like to put a log or two on top of brush. Put larger branches in the brush pile. Once log gets to burning and brush underneath has burned down, I use loader and push log into more brush. You need to keep pushing logs every 10-15 minutes to keep fire going.

 

[bcdave]

I use a tiger torch. Just let it blast into the bottom of the pile until it is burning good. That's what I've been doing the last two days.
Dave

 

[John Wilmoth]

Push the pile in tighter,once diesel and cardboard burn they are done. I went to a propane
wand weed burner stick it in let it go, move it once in a while, help it out with your leaf blower!!

 

[Russ from MN]

It sounds like it's just not dry enough, be patient! I burned some slash piles last year, it had dried almost a year, cleaned up pretty well.

 

[JayinNY]

As my neighbor said years ago, you wanna get a brush pile going, throw and old tire on it!!

 

[WGM]

Use an old tire. Works every time.

 

[larry@stinescorner]

That girl you NY guys voted for...AOC...she wont allow any burning ,,green deal,, but it didnt get voted for

 

[ditchwitch]

Like everyone is saying put a old tire under the pile and put one of those fire logs you light inside the tire and let it roll . You got green trees and brush no problem.

 

[kruser]

Good One Larry !!!

 

[Brian Dan]

get ahold of two or three old pallets get them started then throw the brush on the fire. It doesn't matter if the brush is green or dry it will burn.
Brian

 

[JayinNY]

Asphalt shingles also work well.

 

[4520BW]

Put a few bales of straw under pile and push it tight together, douse it with use oil and diesel and light.( a few tires help too!).

 

[Goose]

I always squirt a half gallon or so of diesel fuel into the pile with a hand sprayer and hit it with a propane torch till it's going good.

 

[grizz02]

use a tire fill the bottom of it with diesel , after it gets going use a brush fan , or weed blower

 

[D beatty]

I use paper and cardboard that recycler won't take and straw. I back burn a brush pile so it doesn't get away from me and do it on a night with a mist in airso embers won't start a fire. We can't use tires or asphalt shingles. If we get caught or somebody turns you in we get fined and fire department will put fire out.

 

[Stephen Newell]

It helps if you have a tractor with a front loader to stir the pile periodically while it's burning.

 

[Brendon-KS]

My personal experience says that a brush pile needs to be dense to light quickly and burn completely. If it is just bushy branches piled randomly there won't be enough fuel close enough to the flame to keep things going. I always trim the branches so they stack more densely and try to orient them in the same direction. For really big piles I'll use my loader and pack it down from the top. One paper feed sack stuffed into the upwind side at ground level for kindling and the whole pile goes up. Go back in an hour or two and rake the perimeter onto the bed of coals and it's all done. A breeze about 10 mph is ideal but our county will usually allow a burn with up to 20 mph wind as long as it isn't predicted to get any stronger.

 

[gab]

I have a different problem, can't put one out. This is the windiest dam place I ever lived, have a lot of old trees in the yard and always need trimming and limbs falling down. The brush pile now is about five plus years old because the wind never quits blowing and I'm scared of one getting away. Last Tuesday morning was perfect so I lit it, light breeze from the south. Wed. little more wind from the north but manageable, Thursday wasn't bad and every since I've been trying to put it out, friking winds been coming from every direction, buried it with my snow blade. Midnight Saturday I seen sparks flying and had to burry it, did it two or three times yesterday, first thing this morning and five this afternoon, wind was 35-40 mph today. Wouldn't mind a little rain tonight.

 

[JayinNY]

I agree, it makes no sense, the ground is soaked here, it's mud, just another law if you break it you get fined! Just another reason for the state to earn more income, and then blow it frivolously!

 

[CBBC]

Yes are just finishing up 18 dumptruck loads of stumps that have been in the ground for a thousand years.... old peat bog. They have been out since last June but are still a bit wet.
We start with a couple stacks of old dry pallets smashed up and then use the excavator to pile branches and stumps a little at at time. Once it gets Burning hot it's easy to keep going. Just keep putting more on toand let it burn out the centre.
To make it burn clean and faster an air curtain or a big fan or dozer with the fan blowing forward position toward the fire will help a lot.

It's always easier to add to a burning pile of pallets and debris verses trying to start in the middle of a big pile... not that it can't be done.

 

[WGM]

Use an old tire. Works every time.

 

[Dean]

I've burnt many, many brush piles.

I've never had any of them burn completely without restacking multiple times unless they are carefully (time consuming) stacked. I use a pitch fork to restack.

I usually allow two or three full days to burn a large brush pile completely, restacking multiple times each day.

When done I have nothing but ashes.

Dean

 

[MarkB_MI]

Ya gotta get a good hot fire going, then anything will burn. I'm guessing you're trying to burn big logs but you don't have a lot of brush and small branches. And your attempts to burn the pile have used up whatever brush was in the mix. Do you still have some brush to clear? If so, make a new pile of brush next to your existing pile. Let it get good and dry, then fire it off. Once it's going good you should be able to pull heavier stuff over to the fire and keep building it up until it's hot enough to burn the heaviest logs.

 

[formerly ny bill]

guy near us forgot? about the burn ban last weekend, started a grass fire that spread to his pole barn. oops!

 

[Bret4207]

(quoted from post at 22:41:28 04/01/19) That girl you NY guys voted for...AOC...she wont allow any burning ,,green deal,, but it didnt get voted for

I'm 9 hours north on NYC. Pretty freakin' sure I didn't vote for AOC or Andy Cuomo. Did you vote for Cory "Spartacus" Booker?

 

[rockyridgefarm]

Buy an 8” capacity 3pt valby chipper and chop the brush. Then use the chips to mulch the trees. Win-win

 

[Mike M]

I cleaned up some land I bought several years back. Had one brush pile with some old fence post in it. Never could get those post to burn ? I ended up putting them back in the ground and hung a cattle panel from them for a sort of gate to keep the rif raf out.

 

[Richard G.]

A guy I know would use a few bales of straw soaked in diesel fuel in the pile and then take a leaf blower to make it super hot.
Richard

 

[MarkB_MI]

> Buy an 8" capacity 3pt valby chipper and chop the brush. Then use the chips to mulch the trees. Win-win.

I've found that chipping is a better way to get rid of brush than burning it. You can rent a chipper here for about 300 bucks a day. Anything too big to chip is cut up for firewood.

 

[fixerupper]

Fire up the crawler and push it together tight like a couple other posters mentioned. If the trees are springy like mulberry it will be hard to get it together tight but thats what you need to do. It does help to cut the limbs up so they lay flat but its too late for that. Another good torch to use is a plain old garden sprayer with diesel in it. Get a fire going and spray diesel on it with the sprayer. It will get too hot for you to stand close enough to spray so you will have to back off and let it die down, then spray it again but if the pile is too loose you are fighting an uphill battle.

 

[fixerupper]

Fire up the crawler and push it together tight like a couple other posters mentioned. If the trees are springy like mulberry it will be hard to get it together tight but thats what you need to do. It does help to cut the limbs up so they lay flat but its too late for that. Another good torch to use is a plain old garden sprayer with diesel in it. Get a fire going and spray diesel on it with the sprayer. It will get too hot for you to stand close enough to spray so you will have to back off and let it die down, then spray it again but if the pile is too loose you are fighting an uphill battle.

 

[larry@stinescorner]

I dont think the CASE guy caught my stab,,,,lol

 

[BHpony]

Once it is started, use leaf blower to get it going really good.

 

[Dick L]

I watched a video where a guy poured a lot of gasoline over a brush pile and shot a burning rag on an arrow into it. It started a big ole fire. It didn't show it being gone. ^D

when I have burned a brush pile I worked a small open area with the loader to have an upward draft.

 

[TJV]

Some used oil and let it soak into the wood for a few hours and then light using cardboard or straw bales has worked well for us.

 

[Adirondack case guy]

She is like a wart on the face of a pretty woman.
Loren

 

[dpendzic]

its all crazy--here in NW Ma you can only burn brush from Jan to April 30, 6 miles away in NY its completely different and we can't use tires or fuel oil, light after 10 am and completely out by 4 pm,

 

[mb58]

Park something very valuable and uninsured next to the pile.

 

[dpendzic]

Larry--only the people who live in the Bronx voted for her--most of them have never seen a tractor or farm field!!!!!

 

[oliverplow]

Had one a couple years ago that didn't burn for me. I poured several gallons of drain oil on it followed with several gallons of gas, then threw a road flare at it. Problem solved! Don't have the same guy light the road flare that slopped the gas all over, he might light himself up.

 

[T in NE]

Some old furniture. Once the foam starts to melt it will burn right down through it.

Slide a steel pipe under it to get the air to the center of the pile from the leaf blower.

 

[W_B]

(quoted from post at 03:15:26 04/02/19) Put a few bales of straw under pile and push it tight together, douse it with use oil and diesel and light.( a few tires help too!).

I tried this and all it did is smoke so bad the neighbors thought I was burning down my barn!

 

[Pete in Holland MI]

Heat is needed to support combustion. A poofy pile of branches has difficulty getting a hot core.

You need a hot core. Start a regular campfire with good wood within the pile, adding more and more and larger wood. Some use an old tire for this hot core. This hot core needs to either be really big to reach your branches, or the branches compressed down into the little core.