Burn Pile Guide

Build the Pile

• Make sure brush, limbs, leaves have dried for at least 60 days.  The more it dries, the cleaner it burns.

• Place the largest logs on the bottom: small sticks, dry leaves and brush in the center to create an easily combustible “nest”; and lots of medium-sized logs and branches on top.

• The legal “home burner” pile size is 4 ft. in diameter by 4 ft. tall.  You can add to this as it burns down.

• Build piles on the flattest ground possible.  If you must build on a hill, dig a “roll out” trench just below it, so that hot coals or logs will be caught before rolling downhill.

• Place your piles at least 15 ft. from any structures.

• Clear dead and dry vegetation including grass around the pile at least 4 ft. or, if possible, up to 10 feet.

• Some live vegetation near the pile may get damage by heat.  Place your piles at least 10 ft. from the base of any trees you don’t want damaged by fire.  Keep in mind that, since heat rises, tree branches directly above the pile might still get singed and moss or dead branches could ignite.  Consider removing branches above the pile or place the pile in a different location.

• Do not add non-vegetative materials to your pile.  Do not burn trash!

Extinguish the Burn Pile

• Let the pile burn down to ash or coal.  Moving smoldering logs and coal toward the center with a metal rake or shovel will speed up the burn-down process.

• Douse the pile with lots of water, while stirring with a shovel.  It may take between 50 to 100 gallons of water, but aggressive stirring significantly reduces the total amount of water needed.  It is very hard to extinguish piles completely when it is windy (winds above 8 mph).  Water evaporates, if you don’t stir it in.

• Spread the coals out from the center, if there is room; working with a larger surface area is easier to extinguish.

• If you have hot logs, scrape all of the heat from these logs with a shovel, hoe or other metal hand tool.  You can chop up, scrape and mix all of it with dirt.  Covering hot logs with wet dirt is a great way to increase the effectiveness of water.

• The pile is fully extinguished when the ashes and coals at the bottom of the pile are completely cold to the touch of your ungloved hand.

• Check the burn area once on the night of the burn and twice during the following day- in the morning and again at the hottest time of day (typically between 2-4PM).

• For the next 10 days, continue to check your burn area.  Night patrols are necessary during windy or dry conditions, as you may be able to see burning embers that are not visible during the day.  Use the backside of your ungloved hand to sense any heat coming from the pile.