Burning Barrel Death

powerstroke444e · Aug 13, 2011

Nokomis man dies of burns - Springfield, IL - The State Journal-Register
The Journal-News
Local guy.
One can imagine that he had done it 100 times lets throw a little gas on this fire to get it buring better. We all have done it but if this makes one person stop and think before doing it it's worth posting.
My heart goes out to his family.

riptides · Aug 13, 2011

Wow....

Sorry for his family.

I treat my burn barrel just like my bonfire pile. With respect.

Don87 · Aug 22, 2011

Dunno if gas caused it or not(articles don't say). But I don't burn things here anymore because one bag of stuff I put in had a hairspray can in it...........as I was walking away it exploded and blew flames for a 3 foot radius around the barrel.

sweep · Aug 22, 2011

I've stopped using gas to start brush pile fires..had a couple close calls. Now I use all newspaper in several cardboard boxes.

Quit 100 percent after my neighbors son poured gas on a brush pile that had gone out 7-8 days earlier..well he thought. Enough embers still existed to ignite the gas and it went up the spout and blew up the can. Luckily he only had severe burns on his one arm and part of his chest. If there was more gas in the can he would have been engulfed.

MoKelly · Aug 22, 2011

There but for the grace of God.

I have learned that gas and fire do not mix ... keep both well away from the other.

MoKelly

creekbend · Sep 4, 2011

My deep heartfelt sorrows to his Family. This thread serves as a reminder of the danger of using gasoline and solvents. We all must never become complacent in regards to possible dangers that we might encounter daily while working on our land. It only takes one mistake. Let's all stay safe out there. Happy Tractoring.:tractor:

ragkar · Sep 4, 2011

If you must use gas to improve your fire, maybe a tip from the guys at a recent barbeque that I attended might be in order. Instead of throwing a spray of gas, which is stupid, they soaked some briquettes in gas and tossed them onto the coals. Of course the danger is that your hands have gas on them.
A thread some time ago on the best way to improve a burn concluded that the best way was to use a weed burner available from HF. Another guy suggested a grass blower set on low but I don't like that idea as it will scatter the embers and blow them into the air possibly causing a wild fire.

dynasim · Sep 4, 2011

That is why god developed diesel fuel, though anybody who throws any liquid fuel on a burning fire is asking for it. It is only for starting!

Chris

crazyal · Sep 4, 2011

Burning garbage is illegal in this state. I doubt you would get caught but very few people do it out in the open now.

Alan L. · Sep 4, 2011

More than 50 years ago my brother was burning trash when he was 12. Didn't have permission to do so, but figured gas would work good on getting it started. A totally empty gas can exploded and caught him on fire. My dad heard the explosion and rolled him to put the fire out. I was 4 at the time but I remember a commotion.

He spent months in the hospital and my parents spent years paying the medical bills. One leg was burned severely, he got infections, etc. Had to have skin grafted from his stomach. Still has the scars.

I use diesel and used motor oil.

forgeblast · Sep 4, 2011

Speaking of burning the wrong things. At the beginning of summer, we felt the house shake, and then a loud boom!! Though people were messing with fireworks, could not see anything. Found out the next morning at a party about 1/2 mile down the road someone threw a tire on a bonfire that was still on the rim. I guess no one got hurt but i would imagine some windows were broken it was loud.

sandman2234 · Sep 4, 2011

Burn barrel got me at 3 and a half. Skin grafts, extended hospital stays, years of physical therapy, but it wasn't due to gas. It did teach me to be careful with fire and flamables. Wish others could learn from my lessons.
David from jax

Beltzington · Sep 4, 2011

This is not directed at the OP or specifically anyone, just a rant to the free world. Concern for safety, would have kept us British subjects and should be left to the bureaucracies and the dull. If you consider all the 20-20 hindsight, should have, could have, ought too, we would all be cowering under the sheets every morning afraid to see the light of day. Come on folks, the opportunity to see a mushroom cloud is why I get up every morning. Lighten-up Francis. As a nation we are desperately seeking heroes because they don't wet themselves while crossing the street. Anyone who doesn't know throwing gas on an open flame is playing with fire is beyond being saved by a forum. Apparently I am going to be that guy, but life is risk and worth living because it is uncertain, choosing to mitigate risk at all costs is choosing not to live life to its fullest.

forgeblast · Sep 11, 2011

As I was driving to work I saw someone using an old fuel oil tank as a burner, he cut a door in the one side and since it already had a pipe coming in off the top that acted like a chimney, and it had legs to keep it off the ground. Nice little design.

brin · Sep 11, 2011

Beltzington said:
This is not directed at the OP or specifically anyone, just a rant to the free world. Concern for safety, would have kept us British subjects and should be left to the bureaucracies and the dull. If you consider all the 20-20 hindsight, should have, could have, ought too, we would all be cowering under the sheets every morning afraid to see the light of day. Come on folks, the opportunity to see a mushroom cloud is why I get up every morning. Lighten-up Francis. As a nation we are desperately seeking heroes because they don't wet themselves while crossing the street. Anyone who doesn't know throwing gas on an open flame is playing with fire is beyond being saved by a forum. Apparently I am going to be that guy, but life is risk and worth living because it is uncertain, choosing to mitigate risk at all costs is choosing not to live life to its fullest.

I agree...we are regulating ourselves into economic doom - there is a risk to everything and common sense is an individual responsibility...what a thought.

BlacknTan · Sep 11, 2011

I imagine that one could die from a flea bite if everything went wrong...

But I'll still keep dogs!

mccash40 · Oct 2, 2011

As Crazyal from VT mentioned, it's illegal to have a burning barrel in VT. Ditto for NY. We are allowed to have a "personal fire" of 3 cubic feet. I've noticed that all my burnables fit nicely into a 3 cubic foot space these days.

CBW1999 · Oct 2, 2011

The burn barrel regulations are a bit odd. I do not believe they really prevent anyone from burning what they want, except out of honesty. The big issue is WHAT you are burning in it. Avoid the "toxic stuff" would be the safest bet.

However, the number of times I see open fires to dispose of construction debris is amazing. In addition, it is not uncommon for farmers to burn old hay. Bottom line is ANY combustion releases toxic gas.

So, the new concept is biomass based "logs" to burn for heat. not much different and nothing special done to the cardboard, paper and such that get shredded and compressed. still releases the same by products. I am thinking of building a simple press to start making them to use a supplemental fuel. Won't be such the waste as when I burn them in a "campfire".

brin · Oct 2, 2011

Burn barrels or any burning of anything other than leaves will be illegal in our county after 01-01-2012 ,,,thanks to the EPA....Just imagine, all we can burn is leaves, so there will be tree branches and downed trees piled everywhere in the woods and on folks property...Too expensive to have hauled away.