Brush Pile Burning Question

[RJK70]

How long typically does it take for a brush pile to burn down?

Obviously there is a lot of variables but in general.

Just wondering if I can get a pile burned down over a two day weekend trip.

It’s a pretty good sized pile. Mostly consisting of dead oak limbs and some trunks. It’s is very dead and dry. Been dead for many years.


This is the first or many to burn on my property it it’s right by the cabin and had some construction trash in there so it needs to go.


Any tips for burning are welcome also.


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[Walker]

It'll burn down in a couple of hours but will have coals in it for probably a week, maybe longer.

[Walker]

There are a lot of burn bans still in effect so call the county first.

[Redfeathers]

Originally Posted by Walker

There are a lot of burn bans still in effect so call the county first.

^^This or you may get an unwanted visit


[QUOTE=BRUTE 23;16539807]Start on the down wind side at the base of the pile. Use a hand sprayer with diesel or some thing and circle the base. The fire will draw in on itself and the bulk will be gone in no time.

Obviously you want to watch for grass or thing it can walk to. Shredding or disking around them can help.

Avoid lighting late in the evening or on a low humidity day because it's easier for embers to fly and relight.

Be sure to call local sheriff's office and let them know you will be burning in advance because some one will likely call it in any ways.

[okrattler]

My mom burned a brush pile with a bunch of stuff in it over the Summer. It seemed as though it was out until the wind came up. If there's still something smouldering it'll spark it back up. That brush pile was burning/smouldering for about two weeks. She'd think it was out and then the wind would blow and it was on fire again. Which ain't good. Wind+fire=oh crap.

[GARY]

We lit a bit one yesterday with diesel. It burn 98% of the volume inside 1 hour. We pushed it up tighter mid day. Half dozen big limbs (tree trunks) burning this morning in dark as we went to stand. Likely smoldering a few days / week is my guess, unless day decides to smother it after big logs burn.

[glen]

Yes you can burn it on a 2 day trip. Before you leave use a front end loader and cover with dirt. Lots of it. It will continue to smolder and break down but should keep it from getting it blown up by wind.

Or use same loader and break it down into several smaller piles but I would still cover before I left

[Tbar]

Burned a large 35" red oak cut into 8' lengths. Piled the stumps together and the tops under and on top of them. Stirred the pile once or twice a day and it took 4 days to burn it all.

https://i.ibb.co/WVkCsTZ/3-C3-C4268-...41-FF3-DF9.jpg

[BRUTE 23]

Start on the down wind side at the base of the pile. Use a hand sprayer with diesel or some thing and circle the base. The fire will draw in on itself and the bulk will be gone in no time.

Obviously you want to watch for grass or thing it can walk to. Shredding or disking around them can help.

Avoid lighting late in the evening or on a low humidity day because it's easier for embers to fly and relight.

Be sure to call local sheriff's office and let them know you will be burning in advance because some one will likely call it in any ways.

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[dgilbert]

Depends on how much gas you use, jk don't use gas.

[Hogmauler]

Ok. Dumb question. If you call the county, the burn ban is off, and you ask them if you can burn, are you still ultimately responsible for anything that may happen after you received the ok?
I’ve had dozer work done on our place and have about three piles that can be burned but don’t have a dozer on site.

[Drycreek3189]

Originally Posted by Hogmauler

Ok. Dumb question. If you call the county, the burn ban is off, and you ask them if you can burn, are you still ultimately responsible for anything that may happen after you received the ok?
I’ve had dozer work done on our place and have about three piles that can be burned but don’t have a dozer on site.

If there’s a burn ban, they are not likely to let you burn as they would be as responsible as you if it gets out. In my life I’ve burned literally hundreds of piles from big to small. It was part of my job. Only ever had two get away from me but it’s pretty **** scary knowing you could burn folks out of their homes or burn their woods/pastures up.

I misread your post, you said if the burn ban was off…..even if it’s off you are still responsible for an out of control fire is my understanding.

[Hogmauler]

Originally Posted by Drycreek3189

If there’s a burn ban, they are not likely to let you burn as they would be as responsible as you if it gets out. In my life I’ve burned literally hundreds of piles from big to small. It was part of my job. Only ever had two get away from me but it’s pretty **** scary knowing you could burn folks out of their homes or burn their woods/pastures up.

Exactly! I had a TP&W biologist tell me they’d come out and do a controlled burn them after that it’d be on me. I’m thinking “oh hail naw. I ain’t burning someone else’s property up”!
Can you light it up and keep it going in a light rain?

[Ætheling]

Originally Posted by Hogmauler

Exactly! I had a TP&W biologist tell me they’d come out and do a controlled burn them after that it’d be on me. I’m thinking “oh hail naw. I ain’t burning someone else’s property up”!
Can you light it up and keep it going in a light rain?

I prefer burning in a light rain.

[Hogmauler]

Originally Posted by Ætheling

I prefer burning in a light rain.

Yessir I would think that would be safer

[Huntindad]

Originally Posted by Ætheling

I prefer burning in a light rain.

yep, and it is an enjoyable sight. I have several in Burnet county I need to burn. However,

my tractor has a leak in a hydraulic cylinder and now battery is dead. Gotta get those fixed bfore I can be ready to burn.

[mmoses]

Originally Posted by Hogmauler

Ok. Dumb question. If you call the county, the burn ban is off, and you ask them if you can burn, are you still ultimately responsible for anything that may happen after you received the ok?
I’ve had dozer work done on our place and have about three piles that can be burned but don’t have a dozer on site.

You are always responsible.

Here is the burn ban map.

https://tfsweb.tamu.edu/TexasBurnBans/

[BRUTE 23]

Originally Posted by Hogmauler

Ok. Dumb question. If you call the county, the burn ban is off, and you ask them if you can burn, are you still ultimately responsible for anything that may happen after you received the ok?
I’ve had dozer work done on our place and have about three piles that can be burned but don’t have a dozer on site.

You are not asking if you can burn. You can ask if there is a burn ban and then you are notifying them you are going to burn. Have address, distance to nearest intersection, and any info about times, dates, equipment available ready to go just in case they ask.

Even in a burn ban you can some times get exceptions. They should tell you the hoops you will have to jump through.

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[Hogmauler]

I think that’s what started the Bastrop fires years ago

[brokeno]

A weekend should be fine.

[RJK70]

Thanks guys. It’s in mason county which is unit under a burn ban per the website.

Also on a good note, these piles are near my well so I can stretch a hose over there and wet everything around the burn pile down real well. And spray any remaining logs before I leave


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[Drycreek3189]

If your pile is sufficiently dry and you can get it started, a light rain would be fine. A good hot fire won’t be deterred by a mist or drizzle but it should wet the area down enough that a spark won’t set everything else afire. I don’t burn my piles without my tractor or backhoe though, just in case. I have two I need to burn now, but waiting for deer season to be over.

[Dale Moser]

Burning brush piles is one of the more satisfying aspects of life.


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[AntlerCollector]

Originally Posted by Dale Moser

Burning brush piles is one of the more satisfying aspects of life.


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Yes it is!!!

[dclifton]

Originally Posted by Dale Moser

Burning brush piles is one of the more satisfying aspects of life.


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Amen!!

[Pstraw]

Originally Posted by Dale Moser

Burning brush piles is one of the more satisfying aspects of life.


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That's my therapy.

[sqiggy]

I have 2 piles at my place ready to go and 2 real big piles at the other place. Probably gonna wait till dead of winter before I light those up. Don’t want to catch the leaves on fire that haven’t fallen off the nearby trees!!!
Plus, I want to do it when I have nothing else to do and I can sit and watch it burn while enjoying some cold ones!!!

[Hogmauler]

Our son loves watching burning brush piles

[tdwinklr]

Originally Posted by RJK70

How long typically does it take for a brush pile to burn down?

Obviously there is a lot of variables but in general.

Just wondering if I can get a pile burned down over a two day weekend trip.

It’s a pretty good sized pile. Mostly consisting of dead oak limbs and some trunks. It’s is very dead and dry. Been dead for many years.


This is the first or many to burn on my property it it’s right by the cabin and had some construction trash in there so it needs to go.


Any tips for burning are welcome also.


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Depends on size, how dry the wood is, and what else is in it(dirt, etc.). We had 7 acres of cedars dozed off our property so we had about 16 very large brush piles. Looking back I would have wind-rowed it instead. No luck with burning in light rain, unless the pile is already flamed up then it rains afterward. The guy had pushed a lot of dirt and mud into ours too. Yeah the wood mostly burnt out of it in a couple hours but in the end you had black stumps spread everywhere along with several piles of dirt.
Most of the time I just played the wind direction before I would burn certain ones since I'm surrounded by other farms/ranches.
Your best bet is to keep it pushed together, it will totally burn to nothing. Since I did not have the equipment to do that, it created much more work for me than it should've been.
Good luck!

[Rubberdown]

I have a big (to me) pile at my place. They lifted the burn ban and it’s rained but every time I’m out there the wind is up. I really want that thing gone as it just keeps getting more and more massive the more projects I do.

[lovemylegacy]

If you want to burn it in 2 days time, use a blower. A blower will keep it burning, then before you leave, cover the coals, if there are any, with dirt