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In our area, the DNR will let us burn without water on hand after there is snow on the ground. I generally do my piles in areas that have no stumps (because a stump can burn for months underground and cause a fire the next summer) and then cover part of each pile with a cheap blue tarp. I dig a fire trail around each pile down to "mineral soil" and wait until snow falls. I light the fires in the area protected by the tarp, which usually will be dry enough to get the pile going no matter how much snow has fallen. A propane weed burner torch is very convenient to get the fires going, and a lot safer than using gas or other fuel. The fires usually burn very well the first day and consume most of the pile. I usually push the edges in with my front end loader tractor to get a better burn. Sometimes the piles stay hot in the middle for a couple of months, so before it gets warm and dry in the Spring, I spread out the burn piles to make sure there is no chance a fire could get away from me. When I was a kid, we always started our burn piles with an old worn out tire--a burning tire would produce enough heat to get very wet wood burning. But today the DNR burn permits specificly prohibits burning tires because of air pollution concerns, and if they catch you burning tires, they not only fine you, but cancel your permit. So I no longer burn tires....the cheap blue tarp method works OK for me. A couple of years ago I burned about 50 piles over the winter, never starting more than 3 per day, as the permit allowed. But many of my piles stayed hot for at least 2 weeks and some much longer. But being careful, I never had any trouble with any of my piles, and the place sure looked better after I was done. I am not sure I would have allowed my place to be logged if I had known how much mess the loggers would leave..... I don't know where you live, but if you get snow in your area, you might ask if your permitting agency has the same rules about fire protection if there is snow on the ground. It sure is easier to be able to light a pile and essentially leave it rather than having to closely baby-sit the fire until it is out. With snow on the ground and a little sense about where a pile is located, there is almost no danger of a fire spreading or getting away from you. Be real careful! In Washington, if the fire department or other fire suppression has to respond to a controlled burn that gets away, that agency can bill the land owner for the costs of the response. And that adds up real quick! Good luck!
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