Slash fire methods

[windthrown]

I get what you're saying, I was kinda being a smart a** with the methanol comment. I can see the reason for oily fuels

Another problem with methanol is that it burns without a visible flame. I watched several Indy 500 races where guys were running around trying to put out invisible flames.

I like the idea of the 4:1 diesel:gas mix. Diesel burns like kerosene on its own, too slow.

Now using the car seats mentioned above... that is a heck of a creative way to start fires! I would not do that though. Using tires is not a good idea either. I was in Colorado some years ago and they had this monster pile of tires west of Denver, several miles long and wide. It had been lighted on fire by lightening a year before and it was still burning. They had no way to put it out.

 

[windthrown]

did you burn her at the stake?

No, I did not. That was nearer to our early honeymoon phase. Also, it is her sister that is the ordained Wiccan. Her sister lives in Vermont though. Now, their mother? I would gladly toss a flare into the log pile under her feet.

Oddly I am also distantly related to my ex in the above photo, from the early New England colonial times. It drove her mother absolutely nuts that I am an 8th cousin to her. That line came through Fairfield, CT in the 17th century, where we are commonly descended from an accused witch, the judge presiding over that witch trial, and several witnesses at that trial. She was acquitted.

 

[madhatte]

they talked about all the problems they have burning slash up there.

This is a late 80's/early 90's thing here, and it could be that I actually know the guy who did the "good science" that made "lop scatter crush" the preferred method rather than "pile and burn". Somehow the idea caught on VERY QUICKLY and now we're lashed to a 100-ton per day burn limit without scary permits from DNR and GOOD LUCK if you fall under PSCAA's jurisdiction. It's pretty stupid especially since the same jackalopes who gripe about smoke from woodburning stoves think absolutely nothing about their cars.

 

[windthrown]

This is a late 80's/early 90's thing here, and it could be that I actually know the guy who did the "good science" that made "lop scatter crush" the preferred method rather than "pile and burn". Somehow the idea caught on VERY QUICKLY and now we're lashed to a 100-ton per day burn limit without scary permits from DNR and GOOD LUCK if you fall under PSCAA's jurisdiction. It's pretty stupid especially since the same jackalopes who gripe about smoke from woodburning stoves think absolutely nothing about their cars.

Well, a big issue that the greenies fail to realize is that methane has a greater impact on global warming (trapping more heat) than CO2 does *. Methane is created when wood rots or is eaten by termites, and not when it is burned. Its like the Germans getting all revved up on dumping nuclear power and burning wood pellets instead of burning coal, NG and oil. But the dirty little secret of burning wood chips and pellets is that it also puts a lot of CO2 into the air. It is cleaner than coal, and it is renewable after decades of growing time, but in the short run it is really no better. In the end the Chinese and Indians are going to burn coal anyway, so the impact will be nil, regardless of what we or the Europeans do about it. And this climate thing is going to take its course no matter what, even if we stopped all CO2 production tomorrow.

As bad as Oregon is for all this environmental crap, Washington is always worse. Oregon is trying to catch up fast though.

* The science behind the Methane (CH4) vs CO2 in the atmosphere argument here: As greenhouse gases go, methane is much more effective than carbon dioxide in heating the atmosphere. While methane only remains in the atmosphere for about 8 years compared to the 115 years for CO2, methane is much better at retaining heat within the atmosphere. In the end, one volume unit of methane will cause the same amount of warming as 23 volume units of CO2. Factoring for time in the atmosphere vs total heat trapped, it comes out to methane being about 60% worse than CO2 for its overall global warming impact. My greenie friends just do not want to believe this though. *shrug*

 

[madhatte]

You are correct on all counts, especially your nuclear point. I am an ex-navy nuclear reactor operator and have been saying for years that the number one problem the public has with the idea of nuclear is how much the cooling towers look like mushroom clouds. People just don't get how clean those plants really are. Of course, you really can't run a civilian operator into the ground the way you can a military one, either, so there's also personnel issues, but that has nothing to do with the intrinsic safety of a modern pressurized-water reactor.

 

[windthrown]

You are correct on all counts, especially your nuclear point. I am an ex-navy nuclear reactor operator and have been saying for years that the number one problem the public has with the idea of nuclear is how much the cooling towers look like mushroom clouds. People just don't get how clean those plants really are. Of course, you really can't run a civilian operator into the ground the way you can a military one, either, so there's also personnel issues, but that has nothing to do with the intrinsic safety of a modern pressurized-water reactor.

Ah, when I was considering enlisting in the Navy when I was 18, they wanted me for the nuclear reactor program. But the VietNam war had ended, and enlistment demand was very low. I wound up finishing my engineering degrees after several years off from college, and I wound up working for General Dynamics in San Diego on several advanced military programs toward the end of the Cold War. I am very pro nuke myself. There is nothing else that can replace fossil fuel given the current energy demand. But lo, Oregon banned N-plants and tore down the Trojan power plant about a decade ago. They also banned all oil refineries here, so we import our gasoline from Washington state. In northern Oregon we are split between Hydro, NG and coal here for electric generation, about 1/3 each. If they shut down the Boardman coal plant up river from here as planned, there will be a 35% shortfall on local energy production. Looks like Germany wants to do the same thing by ending N-plants, but what are they going to replace that with? The data show that N-plants are far less of a risk factor for public health, and burning coal actually puts far more radioactive material into the air than all the N-plants in existence, even with the failures at Fukashima, Chrenoble and 3-Mile Island. But public opinion says otherwise...

 

[madhatte]

Yep. That's surely how it looks. Oh well, I guess. I'm out of that business now.

 

[northmanlogging]

Just a little fire on a nice november morning

 

[bitzer]

Here is another little one. Hehe. They started em with a 5 gallon propane tank and torch. They always liked burning on windy days. I hate working close to houses. Just finished a job up surrounded by them. No guff from anyone this time though.

 

[northmanlogging]

So I went out there today just to check on things, since I have to work tomorrow I'd rather not be out all night waiting on a fire to burn out...

And the Fire Dept left me a nasty gram on the essavator door...

Seems that someone called before 8 or so this morning, and when the FD got there it was kinda smoldering, so no more burning on this project...

Called the Battalion Chief and had a pleasant conversation, guess they got multiple complaints.

No fines or anything, chief was totally understanding, and wished me luck on disposing of the rest of the junk...

Anyhow, I knew going into this particular burn that things were less then optimal, but got 3/4 of the slash burned, so it wasn't a complete wash.

 

[bitzer]

That sucks. Next time do it like a band aid. I feel like you stretched it out too long. I learned that lesson the hard way. I cut the outskirts of a golf course one fall because it was around the corner from my last job. I had to wait til winter to cross the fairways so I left for a month or two. When I came back the members put he kibosh to the rest of the harvest. The good wood by the way. They didn't like the mess laying in the woods. Which was dumb because when the leaves were on no one would have been the wiser.

 

[northmanlogging]

Not sure if I could have gotten away with fast and hot...

Remember the FD was called 20 minutes into the first lighting of the fire, ******* thing was barely even smoking when they showed up the first time. They thought it was as stupid as I did.

They where called the morning after a small burn, not to mention how many times during the burn, so a smoldering pile of ash is what they responded too.


What it comes down to is the squeaky wheel getting the grease, meaning that he/she who complains loudest longest gets their way if only to shut the pricks up for a day or two.

the adjoining neighbors and folks across the street all warned me that even a small fire, like one they have for get togethers, gets the FD called on em.

Eventually, what will happen is a boy who cried wolf situation, the callers house will be on fire, or the woods themselves will be burning and the fire dept will just be sick of responding to this idiot, assume its just another back yard weeny roast and not show up.

 

[bnmc98]

You can always call the local fire or county departments and give them a heads up you are burning.
People always freak out when they see smoke and when they call the dept, they can put them at ease. Some people have no concept of something outside of their known little world.

We let ours sit for a year then touch them off with a small propane torch.

 

[bitzer]

I just meant over the course of a few days. It's been a few weeks right? Ive had all kinds of fun land owner experiences believe me.

 

[northmanlogging]

Only 4 actual days of burning, another day would have finished it...

 

[olyman]

Only 4 actual days of burning, another day would have finished it...

damn foggy night......................been there.....

 

[Bill S 76]

This is a residential burn, nosy neighbor calls everyone in on even a little fire... so the local FD has to respond, they seemed as annoyed as I was.

Because of the Pungent Sound Clean Air Authority (pun intended) you have to have a permit for King and Snohomish county, technically I can only burn in a 5x5 pile... If it where a straight forward clearing or timber harvest, then I could have gone through the DNR and burned a pile so big it could maybe be seen from space... not that there was room for those kind of shenanigans... but it would have been fun. It also would have been mostly burned in one day... So now the neighbors can ***** for most of a week.

This Sure Gel stuff, where do you find it? Seems like it would have some kind of control on who can buy it.

Google:

EZ-Fire Powder​

a product sold by Terra Tech in Eugene Oregon

 

[user 193570]

Whats yer favorite "legal" fire starting tricks and burn em faster methods.

Today was a half a bale of straw, and a weed burner, no other fluids required... Pic just fer fun... (probably gonna end up as a Yule card)

Fire dept was called at least twice on me today... so I had to keep the fire to a minimum size, but still burned about 1/4 of the slash on this project in around 8 hours.

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Ive got a question arent there any trailers with a bunch of barrels on them for burning the cutoffs in ? So its manageable almost all year around , id the fire hazards are too high i mean . Looks like a good working day