After cutting a lot of trees down for the pig pen, garden space, blacksmith shop, etc., we had an abundance of limbs and brush piled up. After giving it ample time to dry, we finally got a calm day (rare here in Oklahoma) to get rid of one of the piles.
When burning, I get very serious about fire safety. One, I will not burn if the predicted wind values are above five miles per hour and/or we have been in a dry spell. Two, I prepare the pile efficiently in order to avoid any stray flames or embers being launched into an undesirable location. Three, I always have a sufficient water supply and proper tools for maintaining the pile BEFORE ever lighting a match. Since we have neighbors in the vicinity, we always want to be courteous and cautious when burning.
After about six hours of burning and maintaining this particular pile, it finally consumed the last bit of branches, leaving nothing but a piping hot pile of charred embers. Since we didn't have time to start another pile, we ensured that we got plenty of water stirred into the bed of coals and extinguished the hot spots to prevent a flare-up. Eventually, we will stir this rich charred ash into our garden before tilling time to help enrich the soil.
In case you were wondering, this is only one of about six massive piles we have to burn off. Provided the weather stays nice and the piles continue to dry out, we should get it completed before spring.
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