starting a fire from the muffler?

[Mikecutstrees]

Ok so I'm taking down a rotten old maple today. I drop whats left of the tree and chunk down the remainder of the stick. I roll the pieces away as I cut them and as I'm loading them in the truck I see one smoking. Seems that a fire started after contacting the muffler on my 361. I don't know what would have happened if I had thrown it in the truck with the chips and had not extinguished it. Has this happened to alot of people? My 361 is stock and has the stock short dogs. I'm thinking larger dogs might remedy the situation. Just curious..... Mike

 

[TimberMcPherson]

I have set a few silver dollar gum trunks smoking, bigger dogs havent helped much for me yet.

 

[beowulf343]

Had a foreman with an 026 many years ago that would do the same thing. My advice, get rid of the 361 and come over to the husky side.

 

[booboo]

Set a rotten sugar maple stump on fire once about 15 years ago with the muffler of an 076. Doing a street tree removal contract. Didn't know it was burning until the Fire Department was dispatched to it a couple of hours after we left. Much laughing ensued. Oops...

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

The whyfor of the spark arrestor on the exhaust and fines one can get for removing them.

If you are on a federal contract (hotshot crews and the like) it is one of the things they inspect for

 

[smokechase II]

fire

"The whyfor of the spark arrestor on the exhaust and fines one can get for removing them."

It is common to remove the screen from the muffler to improve performance and remove a maintenance item.

You didn't discuss this but there is the possibility that contact with the muffler wasn't the cause. So we are going to discuss it for you.

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Trivia. Running a Husky without a muffler screen will also start fires.

 

[Mikecutstrees]

No the muffler was definately touching. I saw the indentation from it when I put out the fire. I havn't removed the spark arrestor. I have on my 200T since that muffler is on the side and not near the wood usually.

 

[joesawer]

If I remember correctly, cellulose (wood) starts burning a a little over 400 degrees F. The exhaust can be more than three times that temp.
On larger trees some times close contact with the muffler can not be avoided.
I frequently cut in very dry conditions with high temps and single digit humidity. The only time I see any sign of combustion on the surface of the wood is when I have a dull chain and spend a long time cutting without moving the saw.

 

[treemandan]

Got to watch where you put logs , even on on a truck or something they might be in the proximety of an ignition source you never thought off. An exhaust leak or stack shooting sparks on the logs and you will have a big mess quick.
Want to me set fire to a dead log with a lowering line? The right conditions make the flash point. AND check your extinguishers, NOW!