Massive pile to burn

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Tonsko

Original Poster:

6,299 posts

214 months

Monday 25th July 2016
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Hey all,

I've had a pile of brush that's been building up for months. Is now easily a 6ft pile.

I was going just to torch it yesterday, but occurred to me, that it's been sat there that long, there might be creatures who have taken up residence.

Going beyond the permits etc. (which we have to burn garden waste blah blah blah), what is the best way of checking for/clearing out any creatures before setting light to it?

Ta.

Cheib

23,110 posts

174 months

Monday 25th July 2016
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Tonsko said:
Hey all,

I've had a pile of brush that's been building up for months. Is now easily a 6ft pile.

I was going just to torch it yesterday, but occurred to me, that it's been sat there that long, there might be creatures who have taken up residence.

Going beyond the permits etc. (which we have to burn garden waste blah blah blah), what is the best way of checking for/clearing out any creatures before setting light to it?

Ta.
Guidance on things like bird nesting is don't cut back hedges or fell trees until end of July but I think "good practice" is end of summer.

Tonsko

Original Poster:

6,299 posts

214 months

Monday 25th July 2016
quotequote all
IT mostly came from last autumn. It more about stuff inside the pile.

Cheib

23,110 posts

174 months

Tuesday 26th July 2016
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Tonsko said:
IT mostly came from last autumn. It more about stuff inside the pile.
Sure I meant if birds are nesting inside the pile the guidance is you should be safe now but "best practice" is autumn.

Tonsko

Original Poster:

6,299 posts

214 months

Tuesday 26th July 2016
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Ah, I getcha. Righto, thanks smile

mike74

3,687 posts

131 months

Tuesday 26th July 2016
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Why not leave some of it in a corner of the garden? Piles of brushwood are very valuable habitats for birds, mammals and insects throughout the year.
One study found literally dozens of Wrens all using one wood pile as a roost over winter.

oilydan

2,030 posts

270 months

Tuesday 26th July 2016
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We had a pile of brambles, bushes and tree branches cut back from the end of last year. Easily 12 feet in diameter and the same tall.

A local garage gave us a used oil drum with the top cut out and some slots cut into the base, makes an excellent incinerator that won't melt in the rain like those little commercial ones do.

Spent the afternoon with the wife, feeding it. Wear gauntlet gloves and say goodbye to eyebrows!

We had 3 x hedgehogs in there so glad we didn't just burn it on the ground.

The year previous we had so much in a pile about 5 times as big from a huge tree trimming campaign, we hired a towable chipper for the weekend and made enough woodchip (about 4 tons) to really tidy the garden up.

ribiero

539 posts

165 months

Tuesday 26th July 2016
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oilydan said:
We had a pile of brambles, bushes and tree branches cut back from the end of last year. Easily 12 feet in diameter and the same tall.

A local garage gave us a used oil drum with the top cut out and some slots cut into the base, makes an excellent incinerator that won't melt in the rain like those little commercial ones do.

Spent the afternoon with the wife, feeding it. Wear gauntlet gloves and say goodbye to eyebrows!

We had 3 x hedgehogs in there so glad we didn't just burn it on the ground.

The year previous we had so much in a pile about 5 times as big from a huge tree trimming campaign, we hired a towable chipper for the weekend and made enough woodchip (about 4 tons) to really tidy the garden up.
This is what I do. oil drums are ideal for this light from the holes at the bottom with a blowtorch then you could use a compressor to really take those eyebrows off!

Then grab a beer, chuck the odd branch in, sit back and relax talking politics for the evening with the hedgehogs.

2ono

552 posts

106 months

Tuesday 26th July 2016
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Set it on fire on one side, see if anything runs out the other sidesmile

Tonsko

Original Poster:

6,299 posts

214 months

Tuesday 26th July 2016
quotequote all
mike74 said:
Why not leave some of it in a corner of the garden? Piles of brushwood are very valuable habitats for birds, mammals and insects throughout the year.
One study found literally dozens of Wrens all using one wood pile as a roost over winter.
We have 12 acres, roughly 10% of it left 'wild', I leave piles of wood and brush all over it when I've been cutting back for all that kind of stuff. That's not really the garden though, and whilst some of *that* is wild too, I need to get rid of stuff somehow. I like the oil drum idea, but I simply don't have the time to feed it piecemeal. Wood chipper, yes, but still have a bit of a pile from the last bit of tree pruning - and have recently gone down a fence for about 200m to cut back a load of nut bushes, so now have about another tonne of brash to get rid of!

I need help. Lol.

Woody3

748 posts

203 months

Tuesday 26th July 2016
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I might be missing something here, but can't you just build a new bonfire next to the existing pile? Because if you are going to check it for wildlife, you are going to have to move/lift it all anyway...

V8RX7

26,762 posts

262 months

Tuesday 26th July 2016
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Woody3 said:
just build a new bonfire next to the existing pile? Because if you are going to check it for wildlife, you are going to have to move/lift it all anyway...
^^^This is the correct way.

I must admit the last one I did (as it was full of hawthorne and bramble) I just lit it on one side - creatures had around 5 mins to get out the other.

Willy Nilly

12,511 posts

166 months

Tuesday 26th July 2016
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mike74 said:
Why not leave some of it in a corner of the garden? Piles of brushwood are very valuable habitats for birds, mammals and insects throughout the year.
One study found literally dozens of Wrens all using one wood pile as a roost over winter.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

this

I have a pile of garden waste in my garden and all sorts of things live in there, including slow worms, hedgehogs and various bumble bees. Once in a I will stir it up a bit and it's like a drive through for blackbirds. Every garden should have one.

Tonsko

Original Poster:

6,299 posts

214 months

Tuesday 26th July 2016
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I think you missed the '12 acres' and 'piles of logs and brush left around' bits smile

ribiero

539 posts

165 months

Wednesday 27th July 2016
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Tonsko said:
I think you missed the '12 acres' and 'piles of logs and brush left around' bits smile
Move it, pile it up in middle of a field, burn it. note wind direction, make sure you're not upwind of the M1, let fire brigade know.

Or pay some one to take it away, (garden services etc) in which case they'll prolly take it away and burn it in a farmers field.

paulw123

3,169 posts

189 months

Wednesday 27th July 2016
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if its been sitting that long get a good pitch fork and move it onto a small fire a few meters away.


Tonsko

Original Poster:

6,299 posts

214 months

Wednesday 27th July 2016
quotequote all
I guess moving it a bit is best option. Le sigh.

Cheers all. Pretty obvious really, but didn't really want the extra work. Necessary tho.smile

mybrainhurts

90,809 posts

254 months

Wednesday 27th July 2016
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FFS, all you have to do is shout a loud, concise warning before torching it.

Leave it ten minutes and shout again, if it makes you feel better.

Don't really see the problem, if you simply go ahead you'll get plenty of well cooked meat in the end.