# Poison Ivy contaminated firewood what can I do?



## M4rk23 (Aug 13, 2010)

I got about 10 ton of pine I helped a friend remove in exchange for the wood. Plus my new 346xp needed some exercise. First off I know pine sucks but it was to be for campfires. I don't have a wood burner so I didn't care what kind of wood it is. Ok last week I helped drop them and cut into logs and only got a couple spots on me and I get it fairly easy so I didn't have concern. Now Monday we removed all the limbs and threw the logs into a dump trailer and dropped them in my driveway. I was doing all the stump cutting so they could be ground out easier while everyone else was hauling. I did not see any Ivy on or around the stumps and I can only figure that it was dead plant matter in the compost that pine trees create. Sence I was cutting so close to the ground this compost came up in dust from the exhaust and chips ect and caked my forearms which I hosed off perodically just cause it was annoying. Tuesday I started showing signs and wednesday I had to go to the ER cause I'm covered from the waist up with it. I was wearing jeans and saw chaps so none below. Doctor said I have one of the 10 worset cases he's seen. Now all the logs are mixed up and I have no idea which of the 14 trees had it or all of them. So I guess I have 2 questions.

1. Is there any chemical I can spray on the logs to remove the urushiol oil and still burn them?

2. Do you think the logs even have much urushiol oil on them? As most were probably just rolled over the compost which was dry and like mulch which I could simply hose off.

I really don't want to have to load it again but I also dont want to harm anyone burning it. I don't know what to do???


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## savageactor7 (Aug 13, 2010)

Pretty sure you're out of luck cleaning up the logs. Just wear long sleeves and always use gloves when handling wood.

I use tecnu when I'm done cutting




you're supposed to wash with it but I just leave in on. Works well imo. Good luck.


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## Cambium (Aug 13, 2010)

I'm going to say spray it with poison ivy killer spray but then let the logs sit a few weeks (4-8) just so the residu from spray drys out. But it will kill the ivy within days.


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## Mike PA (Aug 13, 2010)

Funny thing about PI - you can kill it, but it can still get you, for quite a while after it is dead. THe oil sticks around in the plant for a long time - some people claim 5 years. I don't know if that is true or not, but I have cut through dead vines and gotten a bad case of PI. Taught me a lesson I will never forget.

If the oil came form the compost - the logs should be fine now, and definetely with a little time. Roll them away from the compost and let them sit for a little. I would be a little concerned that someone pulled a vine off the logs, but the little suckers remain on the wood, and that is what got you. I'd look at each log a little closer before you start cutting. Good luck with it.

As far as burning is concerned, wait until the wood is seasoned to the point that the bark is off, then there will be no concerns.

BTW - I burn pine in my indoor wood stove with no problems. Don't let anyone tell you that it will plug your chimney, as poorly seasoned wood and low burn temps do that not the wood type.


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## taylor6400 (Aug 13, 2010)

Spray isnt going to get rid of the oil (If any) on the logs. Man, i dont know what to say. One hand i dont see how there could be enough oil on the logs to have a concern about burning it and getting a rash from the smoke. Now, if there were vines on the logs, yeah, big concern. My mom was in the ER once from smoke...it was BAD. But there you are burning so much of the ivy and oil compared to such a small amount that MAY be on the logs. Personally i wouldnt worry about it and burn them. But, you are obviously allergic to the oil since you got it so bad and didnt even see it, you might want to be cautious. I rarely get the stuff though so...


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## gwiley (Aug 13, 2010)

Dont take any risks with PI. The smoke will kill you if you get a good whiff of it and have an allergic reaction. You will suffocate - bad way to go. PI infected wood is just not worth fooling with unless you can be pretty sure you remvoed all the PI.


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## M4rk23 (Aug 13, 2010)

Thanks guys! I think Mike nailed it. I planned on giving it a season to dry anyway but didn't think about the bark falling off! Everything under 12" went through the chipper so it all needs split and stacked to get it from the drive to around back and stacked. I'll just be sure to wear gloves handling it and rip the bark off before it goes in the pit. Time to rent a log splitter just as soon as I heal up.

BTW I have used Tecnu before there stuff is great but I was out and I don't think it would have mattered anyway. By the time I got home I had spent 8hrs cutting and was at least an hour before I showered afterward. I was wearing a white tshirt and with the sweat and all coming through my shirt was soaked and it came right through like I wasn't wearing anything!

-Mark


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## banshee67 (Aug 13, 2010)

savageactor7 said:


> Pretty sure you're out of luck cleaning up the logs. Just wear long sleeves and always use gloves when handling wood.
> 
> I use tecnu when I'm done cutting
> 
> ...



im about to give up and start wearing long sleeves myself. 
the heat stroke seems to be a better option than the poison ivy at this point ion the season!


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## SkyP (Aug 14, 2010)

taylor6400 said:


> One hand i dont see how there could be enough oil on the logs to have a concern about burning it and getting a rash from the smoke.



One source says only 1/4 ounce of urushiol (the compund that causes the rash) is enough to give a rash to every person on earth!

http://poisonivy.aesir.com/view/fastfacts.html


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## ropensaddle (Aug 14, 2010)

I used to get whoopins for playing in pi dad caught me chewin the leaves once and freaked. I never got a reaction then or now.


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## Tootall521 (Aug 14, 2010)

best advice is to wear long sleeve's and gloves and their is a soap called phelfs napta (sp). you can buy it at your local hardware store or gardening supply. It is bar about 7 inches long and 1 1/2 sq. It is used to cut the oil that makes you itch. regular soap wont take off the oil put this will.


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## BlueRidgeMark (Aug 14, 2010)

M4rk23 said:


> it all needs split and stacked to get it from the drive to around back and stacked. I'll just be sure to wear gloves handling it and rip the bark off before it goes in the pit. Time to rent a log splitter just as soon as I heal up.




I wouldn't do that! That might be a good way to do it normally, but in this case? I'd wait until that bark is falling off before you split it. If you split it with the bark on, you're going to transfer that oil all over the rest of the wood, then you *can't* get it off.


Don't take a chance with that stuff!


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## M4rk23 (Aug 15, 2010)

*Found the culprit!*

My friend who I was helping told me yesterday "ya didn't you see those vines growing up that maple we also cut down" well no you didn't mention them and there was only a stump left to remove which I got the job for cause I had the biggest saw. Well that maple abruptly forked into 3 branches from the stump and the middle was all Ivy roots and matter. Well he didn't inform me of the ivy he saw and there wasn't really any exposed for me to catch the way the tree grew so I had no idea what my saw was burried in. Well I cut that stump out in 4 quaters and the entire center was all ivy. I had no idea untill I went and looked for those pieces and found massive ivy roots and matter. I took pics but there too big to upload here. At least now I know what happened and all the pine cut is completely free of any poison ivy as it was nowhere near the maple. lesson learned check 10,000 times and cut once! Pics coming soon maybe.

-Mark


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## carvinmark (Aug 15, 2010)

Hope you are right and that Pine is ok.
When I was a young child, I was at a bon fire where they were burning misc, found wood. I must have been there while they were burning some PI (by mistake) and I about ended up in the hospital from the PI infected smoke. To this day, I stay as far from it as I can. I wouldn't even think about taking the chance with the wood myself, but if you do, try to stay away from the smoke.


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## merlin1 (Aug 16, 2010)

gwiley said:


> Dont take any risks with PI. The smoke will kill you if you get a good whiff of it and have an allergic reaction. You will suffocate - bad way to go. PI infected wood is just not worth fooling with unless you can be pretty sure you remvoed all the PI.



+1 Pass it up...not worth going to the hospital, or worse, over. Listen to folks who have learned the hard way. Don't even think about burning this stuff around your family. Lots of good wood out there...


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