# Best way to lite brush pile



## John_Yurich

What's the best way to get some good size brush piles started? I've heard diesel or kerosene and fuel pellets. :flame:


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## Danaus29

Match. Just one, maybe more if it's really windy. If it's good and dry all you have to do is get one little branch or some dried leaves started. Or stuff some newspapers under the pile and light those.


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## canfossi

Just make a little hollow in the windward side of the brush pile and stuff in your newspaper, leaves etc and some diesel and things should go from there. Good luck. Chris


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## lmrose

My husband has burned brush piles and areas of dead grass. He just lights some leaves and twigs by the edge of the pile and it burns. Dead grass that is dry he just lights it with a match and away it goes! The most important thing is not to burn when the wind is blowing that could cause the fire to get out of hand whether brush pile or dead grass. Especially dead grass he burns after 5o pm when the air is damp and he only burns when there is no wind. He burns small areas he can control. Larger areas require more than one person to tend the fire.

Here in Nova Scotia there have been over 40 fires all started by people trying to burn grass or brush piles this Feb and March. Some municipalities have banned fires now. All burning has to be done by April 1st regardless. After that a permit is required. Some people don't realize how easy a fire can spread out of control especially if there is wind. When the fire gets out of hand people panic and call the fire department which here consists of volunteers. So far this year they have been run ragged! If a fire was deliberately set the person who set it might get a bill in the mail from the fire department for their services!


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## big rockpile

Now I didn't tell you this :gaptooth: But take throw a few Old Tires on it soak it with a mix of Diesel and Gas. Light it up should burn :nanner:

big rockpile


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## Toads tool

big rockpile said:


> Now I didn't tell you this :gaptooth: But take throw a few Old Tires on it soak it with a mix of Diesel and Gas. Light it up should burn :nanner:
> 
> big rockpile


Yep, you're from Missouri.:heh:

You forgot to add the old VW engine once things get going good.


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## meanwhile

First, have a 12 year old and a 17 year old ready with Home-made bow & arrows. They will stab a wadded up piece of newspaper on the end of the arrow and have it and a lighter (or matches) ready. Make them stand as far away from the brush pile as possible and yet still be able to shoot the arrow into the pile. Since they will have practiced the whole week before, they know exactly where to stand.

Next, Pour as much gas on the pile as you can. Try and pour it all over the place and toss it in the middle of the pile too. Be sure the kids know to WAIT till you are out of the way.....

Then, have the kids fire up the paper on the end of the arrow and SHOOT!

There you have it! Burn pile all fired up..........

Just in case we always have water hoses at the ready...........and, no....we are not from Missouri.......


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## chestnut

News paper and dry sticks. Once burning, used motor oil gets it burning good.


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## Old Vet

Any type of the ones that are listed here will make it burn. If it is green wood or even this year cut down you will need to have a source of fuel to get it burning good. If it is well seasoned and dry you can use a match but if it is not really dry you will need either some diesel or other fuel (not gasoline). I usually use diesel but have used kerosene or the fuel bar to get it burning good.You don't have to light the whole thing but a small patch on the windward side and let it spread. Half a gallon of diesel fuel will burn most anything.


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## Callieslamb

DO NOT. Do NOT...throw gasoline on the pile with the gas container in one hand and the lit match in the other......DO NOT. 

DO NOT - use one of those gas torches...you have to get WAY too close for that.

After those two tried, I stopped being in charge of burning brush piles.


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## springvalley

Rockpile, we use to do that around here to, but you can`t do it anymore. But they sure did make for a nice burn. Thanks Marc


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## fishhead

I stuff dry feed bags under a pile of closely packed small twigs and light that. Usually one match is all it needs. The tighter the pile the better it burns because the heat reflects from one burning twig to the other and seems to magnify it.


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## John_Yurich

Thanks for all the responses thus far. Like the bow and arrow idea.


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## Kris in MI

Put an old couch on top, and let 'er rip! aka the 'burniture' method 

And when it's going good, take a tractor and push an old dead pick up truck into the inferno. :run:

Actually, that's the party method. The cleaning up at home method just involves good dried out stuff pushed into the middle of the field in the spring before plowing, a non-windy day or evening, some old newspaper and a match, as was suggested by several posters above.


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## watcher

Big Rock is wrong, you only need one tire. Put about a quart of gas in it, put it as deep as possible in the windward side of the pile then toss a lit road flare in it.


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## Wolf mom

Sheesh! this must be a guy thing. The bigger & hotter the better. (no pun intended)

You want a CONTROLED BURN - no matter how large. If you toss gas or other flamable you won't have that. Juat do what was said - some newspapers and a match. And do it on a NO WIND day.


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## big rockpile

watcher said:


> Big Rock is wrong, you only need one tire. Put about a quart of gas in it, put it as deep as possible in the windward side of the pile then toss a lit road flare in it.


Well I know someone the other day just had one tire and it just burnt a hole in the brush pile.But it was green.

big rockpile


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## fantasymaker

Build the brush pile on a LAYER (or two or three) of tires. Then after dark douse it with a few gallons of gas then pour a line of gas away from the pile to a protected spot then light the line.:bouncy:


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## Michael Kawalek

Our burning season here is short because fire danger goes up quickly in California. It is a catch-22, because you are only allowed to start fires when it is too wet for anything to burn.

I can successfully start fires if I plastic tarp over a section of a pile in the fall and protect that section from rain all winter. I'll harvest all the light twiggy matterial that's up toward the top of the pile, and nestle that down low on the windward side with some newspaper. Sometimes though I just have to use enough newpaper to dry the wet wood to the point that it will light. Once the stuff greater than 1" is on fire, the pile will generate enough of it's own heat to dry the rest of the debris to the kindling point.

Gasoline by itself is too dangerous for starting fires, but a blend of old gasoline and diesel with maybe some used motor oil is a good way to dispose of old fuel. I pour a little on the big stuff and let it soak in before lighting. Pour a little bit into a trail away from the pile so it doesn't go woosh right in your face.


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## salmonslayer

> The bigger & hotter the better.


 Oh yeah!!


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## mnn2501

Wolf mom said:


> Sheesh! this must be a guy thing. The bigger & hotter the better. (no pun intended)
> .


 Many of us guys would use a small nuke to start a brush pile if we could get our hands on one. :hysterical:

More Power...yahhhhhhhhhhh


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## o&itw

big rockpile said:


> Now I didn't tell you this :gaptooth: But take throw a few Old Tires on it soak it with a mix of Diesel and Gas. Light it up should burn :nanner:
> 
> big rockpile



If you seriously take this advice..... better do it during the night....large plumes of black smoke will bring unwanted official persons wanting to fine you for burning tires..... It is a good way for the local fire district to make $500 from you for properly disposing of your hazardous waste.

The best way to burn a large brush pile is to never let it get large in the first place. Start a small fire 5 or 6 feet across, and you can burn even the greenest wood as you clear, or trim by throwing it on as you cut. Large piles of (green) brush need to sit 6 months or so, or they will not compress enough to burn well.... On a rainy day, it will be hard to start...no matter the "whooshes" from throwing diesel on it. A pile a year or so old, is best started on the windward side by creating a small fire underneath and feeding it untill it can get some coals on the ground of its own. Once its starts drying out and burning the brush above it...it will usually take off. If you have a very large brush pile, that is dry, you might want to start the fire on the leeward side instead. A huge dry pile going up all at once will let loose lots of sparks and singe anything close by....including branches 40 feet in the air and to the side.


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## o&itw

Toads tool said:


> Yep, you're from Missouri.:heh:
> 
> You forgot to add the old VW engine once things get going good.


No...We can't do that, I'm gonna pull the heads so the ole lady can plant strawberries in the cylinders. Just set it there by the old divan in the front yard......Not to close to the house, the **** hounds won't be able to get out from under the front porch.


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## meanwhile

Oh yes....be sure to get a Burn Permit first! We get ours online via the NC Fire something......Maybe fire and wildlife......but be sure to get one and SAVE the email they send you.

We have had the Fire Dept show up twice on us! No kidding.......once it was "necessary" (enough said) but the other time they were just nosy .....and they can fine you and if they do have to "help" with a fire gone 'wild....they can try to MAKE YOU PAY FOR IT if you did not get the Burn Permit.

We get the Permit but put the dates spread out over 30 days. That way, if the pile is out but the wind flares it up 3 days later.....and causes a fire, then we are still covered.

And gas is not really a good idea.......use diesel fuel. We dump our old bad gas on it but we really only let the kids fire it up twice with the bow-arrow torches. It is best to just light a small fire on one side and then let it slowly spread. 

DO have water hoses ready. Our Burn Pile area is in deep woods but we have made a dirt berm about 4 feet high around it. We have unlimited water source from a spring fed Cistern and so we just wet the whole woods down all around the pile for as far as the shooter-hose will spray it. It is a good job for a 12 year old.

Good luck and stay safe.


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## Guest

I like to tie an old or new piece of plastic over the top of the pile ( doesn't need to cover the whole pile ) If the wood under the plastic is already dry fine , if not I wait till it is fairly dry . I then wait till after a good soaking rain or a snow . I then remove the plastic & pour about a pint of kerosene or diesel fuel down into the center of the dry area & pour a small trail of fuel away from the pile . Light the trail & stand back . After most of the pile has burned you might have to push the edges toward the center . I never burn when it's dry or windy .


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## pfaubush

I use dryer lint. I don't know what it is about dryer lint, but that is always what I use to get things going. It gets things going in a hurry, even if it's a bit windy.


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## Cheribelle

True story-

An aquaintance was getting ready to burn a pile of leaves and brush. Had it all piled in a road ditch. Poured on the gasoline, and the cell phone rqang. So he took the call. In the mean time the fumes had gathered together and settled into the ditch. When he tossed in the match the resulting explosion blew the windows out of his neighbor's house. 

Be careful. Get some help from someone with experience. Turn off your cell phone.


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## John_Yurich

I was burning garbage in a barrel today and threw in some old roofing paper. It really lit up.


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## dezingg

John_Yurich said:


> What's the best way to get some good size brush piles started? I've heard diesel or kerosene and fuel pellets. :flame:


I'm probably making all the wrong assumptions here. 

If you need help starting a fire ...
1. Get a lawn chair. 
2. Sit in it. 
3. Hire a retired firefighter to burn your piles for you.

From your message it is impossible to get any measure of your experience with fire. I have never wondered about how to start a fire. I've always concentrated on not ending up with a fire that I couldn't control. 
My best advice is to start with ridiculously small piles, clear all flammable material off the ground around the pile and have lots of water on hand. Then after several years of that you might try larger piles. It doesn't sound like this scenario will fit your situation.
I hope that your conditions are a lot safer than I am imagining.


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## John_Yurich

dezingg said:


> I'm probably making all the wrong assumptions here.
> 
> If you need help starting a fire ...
> 1. Get a lawn chair.
> 2. Sit in it.
> 3. Hire a retired firefighter to burn your piles for you.
> 
> From your message it is impossible to get any measure of your experience with fire. I have never wondered about how to start a fire. I've always concentrated on not ending up with a fire that I couldn't control.
> My best advice is to start with ridiculously small piles, clear all flammable material off the ground around the pile and have lots of water on hand. Then after several years of that you might try larger piles. It doesn't sound like this scenario will fit your situation.
> I hope that your conditions are a lot safer than I am imagining.


A pile about 10ft round and maybe 6-8 ft high. Rural land. No nearby structures. Pond and creek on the land, no well. Starting a fire is not an issue. The issue is more about keeping the fire going so it will burn the whole pile.


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## bloogrssgrl

John_Yurich said:


> A pile about 10ft round and maybe 6-8 ft high. Rural land. No nearby structures. Pond and creek on the land, no well. Starting a fire is not an issue. The issue is more about keeping the fire going so it will burn the whole pile.


The best way to burn a brush pile that big is with a day off and a case of beer.


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## GoldenCityMuse

No problems burning brush in New Mexico


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## davel745

You guys got it all wrong. 

Get on the walke talke and call in an air strike. Tell em Charlie is about 1 click due north of your AO. And dug in deep. It takes about 20 minuets for the A4âs to get there. 

Good Luck with that

Dave


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## stanb999

You don't say where your from.. But if your east of the plains states where snow just left. Or in the area of deciduous forests that are dry as all get out right now.
You might want to wait a bit to burn brush. For instance here in NEPA this is the only time of year that a brush pile shouldn't be burned. All the fields, woods and areas in between are tinder dry. Once green up happens most of the danger of the fire getting away from you is past. 


The best way of burning IMHO is a combination of two posts above.

1 add sticks and branches to a burning fire. I've never had luck with getting a large pile to burn in one shot. I always end up with a half burnt pile if I do it that way.

2. It also takes about a case of beer. What's better than that is a 1/2 keg and a few neighbors. :buds:


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## Ken Scharabok

Locally you can only have open burn piles certain times of the year and then are requested to call into the State Forestry Department for a permit number (in case it gets out of hand).

Personnly I like to age my burn piles a couple of years. Really burn down to nothing but ashes. Still shovels, rakes and a front end loader can come in handy.

I have four fairly widely spaced apart burn pile sites on the farm.

On only structures, we have a lot of 'bolt out of the blue' lightening srikes in the area.


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## meanwhile

I sure hope no one is burning today - at least not near me. It is so DRY out there. We planned to fire up our Outdoor Wood Oven but it is so windy and dry that we are not even going to fire it up. 

Stay safe everyone.


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## FarmerGreen

bloogrssgrl said:


> The best way to burn a brush pile that big is with a day off and a case of beer.


I knew I was forgetting something! I didn't bring any beer.:hammer:

I closed my cabinet shop 2 1/2 years ago and after 20 years had accumulated a lot of scrap. Old jigs and patterns galore. Anyway I just started a pile over a couple of downed trees from clearing property. So this pile was about 40 feet wide, 20 feet across, and about 10 feet high. It's been sitting there about over 2 years. This morning I climbed up about half-way and poured a half gallon of diesel on it. One match and a napkin and it was on. Wind was dead as could be for the first 3 hours and then it picked up big time! It kept changing directions, it would blow one side and then stop for a few minutes and then would blow the other side. After an hour the wind died down and I was able to get close enough to push leftovers toward the center. After 8 hours it was just a pile of hot ashes.


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## big rockpile

o&itw said:


> If you seriously take this advice..... better do it during the night....large plumes of black smoke will bring unwanted official persons wanting to fine you for burning tires..... It is a good way for the local fire district to make $500 from you for properly disposing of your hazardous waste.
> 
> The best way to burn a large brush pile is to never let it get large in the first place. Start a small fire 5 or 6 feet across, and you can burn even the greenest wood as you clear, or trim by throwing it on as you cut. Large piles of (green) brush need to sit 6 months or so, or they will not compress enough to burn well.... On a rainy day, it will be hard to start...no matter the "whooshes" from throwing diesel on it. A pile a year or so old, is best started on the windward side by creating a small fire underneath and feeding it untill it can get some coals on the ground of its own. Once its starts drying out and burning the brush above it...it will usually take off. If you have a very large brush pile, that is dry, you might want to start the fire on the leeward side instead. A huge dry pile going up all at once will let loose lots of sparks and singe anything close by....including branches 40 feet in the air and to the side.


As they say," Your not from around here are you?". :gaptooth:

Ah heck let me help 










big rockpile


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## gladetop

Our local tire shop keeps a pile of blown out tires in front of the shop for guys to pick up for burning brush piles. He got tired of guys coming in asking for old tires to burn all the time, so now he just keeps a pile of them out front. Just take what you need. And guess what's across the road from the tire shop? Yep, the local fire department. I guess we do things just alittle different in the ozarks.....


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