There is little better you can do to eliminate problems than a good hot fire. It’s dangerous but it’s also a purifier we use in Kansas to better our land. Who else uses these slash & burn methods?
Not I! Neighbors here in San Diego would freak, particularly in the summer, if I regularly burnt my itty bitty postage stamp back yard (at least compared to yours!)
I will sometimes set a fire in my outdoor firepit just to assuage the pyro in me. But I always watch it closely for sparks - again particularly during our hot dry summers.
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FYI - in San Diego county and municipalities it is illegal to burn anything in an outdoor fireplace without a 3/32" spark screen, or to have an open fire of any type without a burn permit from the local fire department/district. This law insures that anyone who doesn’t and causes a fire will be held responsible for all damages in our fire-prone environment.
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Always check with your own jurisdiction’s Fire Department where you live, first. See what their permit rules, regulations, and laws regarding doing this EVERY time you start and outdoor fire. If the weather conditions change in your area there may be a temporary open fire ban. The laws/limits/bans can change from time to time during the year. Big problems if you are not allowed to do an open burn, even on your own property. Some places love to give tickets. If you have nosy neighbors they LOVE to call in things like this.
** I did not mean to tromp on your post Clark. I’m a retired professional firefighter so these things can cause a lot of issues to deal with. Law enforcement gets involved and the fines can really add up. Plus as Richard mentioned the person starting the fire can be liable for any fire damage to other properties. I have seen that many times through my career. Illegal fireworks set off during the very dry periods around the 4th of July. That is always one big cause of fires in and around houses and properties.
Sounds like common sense type things, I know. Seems like common sense is not so common any longer. **
There are some local park districts that do a “control burn” in some of their park wildlife prairie areas every year or two. We would always get a ton of calls even when they would put out a “public service announcement” on the tv and radio the week before and during that “control burn” day. They also had these listed in the local newspapers and on their online newspaper editions.
Farmers usually use the burn period to do what you are doing Clark plus they can get rid of their dead trees and brush from over the winter. They were doing this in certain counties around me when I was driving around last week.
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Yes, that’s why i stick around and watch it. Fire screen did rust away…I’ll have to get a new one.
During the fire season I very rarely have one going. If the kids want smores or something, I might start a very small one, but will put it out once dessert’s done.
A few years ago one of the big fires came within a mile of the house, so I’m pretty sensitive to the danger. I’m not that far from an open area and it does get very dry during the end of summer and into Fall.
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Just think less than a lifetime ago every relative I have cooked every meal they had on flame. I use a burn permit now in most cases but growing up we never used a permit. There are more people in the world and like everyone else I do my part but I do certainly feel cramped by all these new rules. May all of you stay safe and burn responsibly.
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The massive fire of 1910 put the United States Forest service here to doggedly extinguishing every smoke as soon as spotted, and until the late 20th century this policy of suppression was faithfully followed. In the '70s a new line of thinking developed, and now fires are often allowed to run if it’s considered risk-worthy. But we have a huge buildup of fuel, now, and we’re seeing correspondingly large fires. Seems like we now have a couple of months of smoke season every year. Control costs are out of control too. Would have been better off, apparently to have let some of them burn over the decades. I don’t know what they’re going to do now and I don’t think they do either.
http://fwp.mt.gov/mtoutdoors/HTML/articles/2010/1910Fire.htm
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I burn my dried up asparagus every spring. It surely helps with asparagus beetles.
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Our park district has regular controlled burning program in its public parks. Controlled burning not only get rid of weeds and insects, but also fertilizer the land.
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I have some acerage here in Florida. I do always call in to the forestry and they give me a burn number but if not for burning I would NEVER be able to manage my place. Done right and safely it’s a God send here. But like I said. Sorta… it’s not complete here unless you use the wisdom of forestry and have equipment. All burns must have at least one tractor with root rake available. I qualify myself. I haven’t done any large acerage burns. All under 10. But most of the farmers…make that ALL the farmers use it every year. Very good way to reinvigorate your land and get rid of ugly invasive stuff and keeps down the old fire fuel. Very important here in the lighting capital of the country.And Clark, reference to permits here only apply to oversized burns. Anything under four feet tall and ten by fifteen is free to go without permits as long as there is no burn ban.
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Thankfully, Kentucky hasn’t been “progressive” and gotten around to taxing fires.
If there’s a ban due to dry/windy conditions, that’s one thing. The other times in the year, burning is one of multiple options on the table in my neck of the woods. Have done it from time to time over the past 50+ years.
(Only let fire get out and burn and kill a couple fruit trees once…but even then I controlled the fire, no need for some nervous biddy to call the fire department). Having grown up with the old folks (which I’m one of now I reckon) burning tobacco beds and garden plots…or burning whole sections of hillsides to get rid of old brown sedge so new green grass would grow in for the livestock to graze…it’s pretty safe if you’re experienced. But the first-timer should be very careful with fire.
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All my canes and branches from pruning go to my fire pit instead of my composter. Here in rural Mt we still have to be mindful of fires escaping and causing damage. Some areas require burn permits and some are as easy as calling and getting permission. As a retired volunteer firefighter and Chief we still use fire to re-hab overgrown areas to reduce the fuels as MarknMT stated. Not everyone should be out burning everything but it does have its place. We typically only burn in the early spring or late fall when the fire dangers are diminished.
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same here. no burn permit required and i like to burn my vines and stuff in the fall. i make biochar from tree trimmings. its usually wet spring and fall here so not a issue. surprised it isn’t more of a issue as we have thick evergreen forests and should they do start to burn, they burn hot like kerosine and spread quickly from crown to crown. that said we hgavent seen a major forest fire in 50 or so years.
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Here’s what you’d get here if you try that…
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There’s no charge for a burn permit here. Instead, there are many locations where nearly every day is a bad day for an open fire.
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When I was in CA every time the air cleared up there was a burn day. Then we were back in the chocking air quality again. People don’t just burn weeds and sticks. Many burn piles included plastics and other extremely hazardous materials. But who cares about the air that other people breathe?
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Yup.
I had two fruit growing buddies in CA. Both well to do and both cheap. Not that I have anything against either of those conditions. Both preferred burning over spending money to have something hauled off. The one guy burnt all of his Christmas wrapping and packaging in his fireplace on Xmas day as we talked fruit. I’m setting there looking at the soot markings on his ceiling and thinking yikes.
One died of lung cancer while I was still there. I’ll never forget when he came by and told me he was terminal. The other died of some type of cancer soon after I left.
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They do prairie burns regularly around here - every year
Around this time, now that I recall
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Fire’s been an essential part of the cycle since, well, since forever! and it’s still bad for you to breath the smoke. I didn’t quit smoking just to be poisoned by OP’s smoke. Burning in open air when it’s avoidable can be like flushing your toilet into somebody’s drinking water. But in the right conditions it’s the right tool.
Not only does fire clear weeds and insect eggs good and bad it puts potash into the soil and is essential for some pines to germinate (the lodgepole pine seeds will lie dormant for long periods until a good hot fire runs through).
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