Burning Brush now with pictures of the fire!

[cowboy]

Went up to the farm last weekend. The snow was melting fast and making a big mess. I now have a big problem with the W 14 loader. I started it up and within two minuets the radiator was boiling over and it wasn't even warm yet. I waited a while pulled off the radiator cap and started it back up. Within one minute I was getting big air bubbles in the radiator. Off with the head next weekend

I got a big brush pile to burn while I am up there next weekend too. Its 14' high 50' long and 30' wide. I wish I could get it to Docfest and burn it there. But I have a bunch of other work to do up there that needs to be done before I go back to work.



Steve and Jeff don't worry. I have a fire hose pump, hose and fire nozzle. I also made a little resivor to hold water



After I got it built it filled up in less than two hours I figure roughly 2000 to 3000 gallons of water.



EZ I am taking your snow plow up with me on 4-11-08. And will be around most of the day saturday. And going home sunday.

Any one else that wants to come to the Eastern UP for a Little bonfire let me know you will be welcome. It is a wet muddy mess now and will be next weekend too. But I need to get that pile burnt while its wet out and I have a water supply.

Billy

[beaconlight]

Looking good Billy.

[cowboy]

Thanks Bill

[smigelski]

you going to move the trailer before you light it off?

[cowboy]

No Smigelski. It is a lot farther away than it looks somewhere between 200 to 300 feet away. That will give you a better idea how big that pile really is But thanks for checking up on me. I do get a little crazy at times

This picture shows the distance better




This is where the pile came from Last memorial day where the trailer was sitting was all woods. I cut the bigger trees fot lumber or firewood. Pushed the smaller trees and brush into a pile with the loader.

[schmibm]

Looks like you will have a nice building site soon.

[cowboy]

Thanks Schmibm

I tried to burn the pile but it was so wet I could only get a little of it to burn. As a matter of fact it was froze solid. But it is coming together.

Billy

[Tim Martin]

I had a burn pile that big several years ago when I cleared half of a 4 acre lot to build my house. It was all scrub pines and man does that stuff burn hot. The flames were shooting 40-50' high and were clearing the surrounding tree tops. Good thing that I obtained a burn permit because my wife said that she could see the fire for miles down the road.

[schmibm]

Had a few fires like that. Never heard of a permit. Maybe I had better check into it before next time.

[Tim Martin]

Had a few fires like that. Never heard of a permit. Maybe I had better check into it before next time.

The permit is pretty much to give the fire department the heads up. The come out and inspect sometimes and will deny it depending on the amount of rain, wind, etc we have had in the area. They like it if you have a dozer, loader or backhoe onsite to manage the fire. I know that it is a pretty hefty fine if the fire marshall cathces you burning huge piles like that without a permit.

[cowboy]

Cool Tim

At my place down state for a burn permit all I have to do is call the fire dept. It doesn't cost anything. 99% of the time it is just a anserwering machine and it tells if it is ok to burn that day or not. Then you leave your name address where you are burning and a phone number. That lets the fire dept have control of when burning is done and know that a fire in a certin area is on purpose not a accident. If I do not call and they come out its a $500 fine.

At the farm I have no idea who to call nor do I have a phone that works. But I do have a dozer, fire hoses and pump and would have a loader if it hadn't blew the head gasket (hopefully thats all it is). I would not burn that pile unless it had just rained or was raining at the time. The sparks that came off of the part that burned was increadable. My brother did not want to burn it at all. On the way UP to burn it I-75 was closed by Gaylord just before we got there they had a 800+ acer wild fire there. But by time we got 180 miles north it was raining and the wind had quit blowing.

Oh well I will get more burnt next time the conditions are right.

Billy

[Tim Martin]

Cowboy, I sure could put a little dozer like yours to work around here preparing my brothers lot that he's building his house on. I'll use my Cub for the final top soil grading but to initially strip it off, you need a dozer or tracked loader.

Large equipment is nice to have on hand during these burns. I had sparks ignite the top of a 60' scrub pine and catch it on fire. Luckily it was just one tree and did not spread. I had a tracked loader on hand so all I had to do was hook the tree with the bucket and push it in the direction that I wanted it to fall. Then just simply toss it in the burn pile. I could just imagine how fast it would have spread if it had been during the summer drought.

[schmibm]

You can build a fire dam in a hurry if you need to.

[cowboy]

I finally got around to up loading some pictures of the fire


Got-er lit



Fire lit Dark. No flash here just fire light



My brothers putting the fire out.



Gotta respect our firefighters That is just a 1 1/2 fire hose but its a lot of work pulling it around. I can't imagine what a 4" hose is like to move.

Jeff, Steve help How do you get those hoses rolled back up tight I got them rolled up but the center keeps wanting to fall out.

Thanks Billy

[Jeff Silvey]

Just roll the center tighter. The whole roll will need to be tight. Bring it to cub fest we will show you.
Jeff