What is the fastest way to burn a pile of logs?

[mikester]

Being you have so many logs you need to burn what if you bought a band saw for a few grand and saw the logs into boards then sell the lumber and once finished sell the saw. You would probably make some money but either way you would have gotten rid of the logs.

LOL

 

[Lineman North Florida]

Being you have so many logs you need to burn what if you bought a band saw for a few grand and saw the logs into boards then sell the lumber and once finished sell the saw. You would probably make some money but either way you would have gotten rid of the logs.

I took it that he had pine trees that had been on the ground for years from a pine beetle invasion and I would have figured that those logs would be past the time frame for sawing boards, but I could have misunderstood.

 

[plowhog]

he had pine trees that had been on the ground for years from a pine beetle invasion

You are exactly correct.

And the reason I am trying to figure out the fastest way to burn the past-their-prime logs is because I have nearly 50 good logs decked up and ready to put on my sawmill.

The only thing missing is available time to mill them into lumber. Because I need to be out burning before the window closes on burn season.

 

[2manyrocks]

With hundreds as you originally posted, my thought is to start with only a few as a test burn that you know you can manage but will help you to figure out how to proceed burning the rest.

Do you have a source of water to put out the fire if something unexpected happens?

 

[plowhog]

Do you have a source of water to put out the fire if something unexpected happens?

Yes I am good about that. But a weird thing did happen yesterday.

Last year I sprayed and killed about a 40' x 40' mini-forest of Scotch Broom. Pretty thick coverage up to about chest high. This stuff is an invasive plant and huge fire hazard. Outlawed in Northern CA. Such a hazard there are County-wide seasonal volunteer efforts to knock it back.

I was removing it by cutting the stems near the ground using my chain saw. I'd fill my dump truck with it, drive near the pile, and add one plant at a time to the fire. Each single plant I tossed on the burn pile caused an immediate fire eruption. Very hot. Dramatic enough that you couldn't get near the pile to add more slash until it burned back down.

On about the 3rd load, I realized what would happen if my chain saw sparked on a rock while working in that huge mess. I put the chain saw away and started popping them out of the ground using a shovel.

If it was not so volatile I'd crunch it up and use it for fire starter.

btw, this same invasive, high-fire-risk species is sold in Northern Nevada at Home Depot as an ornamental.

Scotch broom, is it invasive or not? Depends where...

Scotch broom fought with other plants to secure its own living space in its native habitat.

www.nature-and-garden.com

 

[34Willys]

Scotch Broom is the official poster child of invasive plants here in Oregon.
Of course Himalayan Blackberries are way up on the list too, but it seems like everyone hates Scotch Broom.
Patrick

 

[ultrarunner]

It’s taking over now where it has never been in the East Bay…

If one owner lets it go it’s only a matter of time.

 

[California]

It’s taking over now where it has never been in the East Bay…

If one owner lets it go it’s only a matter of time.

Interesting.

I have one Scotch Broom bush that was planted by the driveway apparently as a privacy screen, blocking view from the lane. Over 40 years it has declined from massive down to just scrawny bare stems with greenery 6 ft from the base, not really attractive. Reading now that its an invasive species, I should just pull it out.

Himalayan Blackberries on the other hand, grow 'like weeds' anywhere that birds poop. It's a constant battle in the orchard, especially close to the apple trees. I've found the backhoe can get ahold of them and pull out the roots like pulling carrots if the soil is wet enough.

 

[ultrarunner]

Blackberries grow like weeds in Thurston County...

I wish I my TBL there to do a push back and attack.

 

[ultrarunner]

Keep the fire hot?

Last week Christmas Tree clean up…

 

[Williy]

I would think if you cut them to 8 or 10 ft lengths
stand them vertical they would burn faster than
stacking them but have them leaning so you space
between them at the bottom f;or air flow

Or stack them so there is plenty of air space so the
wind can fan for a faster burn

willy

 

[MoKelly]

Keep the fire hot?

Last week Christmas Tree clean up…

Yikes!!! Is that real?

That would scare me to death!

 

[ultrarunner]

They do things different in Oregon...

Weeks of rain and 30 acres dirt around.

 

[MoKelly]

They do things different in Oregon...

Weeks of rain and 30 acres dirt around.

Ok.

Here is my latest experience:

So - I’m a little gun shy!

 

[arto98607]

I have years of old dead pine trees on the ground-- hundreds of them. Aftermath of a bark beetle invasion.

I want to get rid of many of them. I'm thinking of stacking and burning, but due to size I have to cut them first. (Typical log is probably 16 in diameter and 60ft long. Regulations in CA are maximum 4ft by 4ft burn pile but that is commonly exceeded.

I know that even simple brush piles can take hours to burn. So burning dense "logs" will take longer but I want to speed that up.

I am looking for the fastest, most efficient method to burn them up, but not to the level of having a 50 ft fireball into the sky. I have to keep the burn pile somewhat reasonable. I am considering bucking some logs into sections, and throwing them on the fire whole. And with others, bucking into sections, splitting them like firewood, then into the fire. Seems the split logs would burn up faster?

Once the fire gets established, I won't be able to drag long heavy logs into it. So some cutting / bucking cannot be avoided.

Any ideas?

If you have hundreds of "old dead pine trees" and plan on burning them, you should forget about 4' x 4' burn pile regulation!

In case you decide to burn them:
Rent a large size excavator, start a well burning small campfire in a safe to burn area and once it's going well start adding with the excavator easy to burn tree branches etc. first and gradually add bigger stuff like the logs you mentioned.

I have watched contractor do it that way with hundreds fresh green stumps and fir trees which were dying and not suitable for lumber & no one wanted them for free firewood.

They burned very good even when it was raining hard - in fact, it's best to do it during winter when it's raining steady!

 

[ultrarunner]

Ok.

Here is my latest experience:

View attachment 863034View attachment 863035

So - I’m a little gun shy!

At the California site burning required and all rules and regs followed to the letter and small burn piles, no accelerant and a dozer on standby plus water.

It mattered not… multiple fire response including Cal Fire… all was found in order without exception…

 

[two_bit_score]

They burned very good even when it was raining hard - in fact, it's best to do it during winter when it's raining steady!

Best time to burn a big pile is is a downpour.

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

My grandfather used to use one of these filled with gasoline to burn stuff. It was fun to watch & I thought he was the Wizard of Oz.

 

[bdhsfz6]

I lost a couple of dozen Hemlock, 8 to 14" in diameter, to a Wooly Adelgid infestation 7 years ago. I let them stand until all the branches rotted off and then felled them. I dug trenches along the length of the trunks, rolled them in and buried them.

Obviously not an option for hundreds of dead trees though.

 

[2manyrocks]

Ok.

Here is my latest experience:

View attachment 863034View attachment 863035

So - I’m a little gun shy!

Wind + dry grass will do that, and it will make a person gun shy.