Hammermill and pine needles small branches

I would find out what it takes to legally burn the needles and branches when fire dange is very low or nonexistant. In my area, you have to get a DNR fire permit and follow their regulations, though none of them are unreasonable. I burn during the cool, wet months or during the winter. I would prefer to burn when there is snow on the ground, but we have not had much this year, at least so far...

I find that it works well to pile brush, branches and whatnot in an area where the digging is easy so I can make a fireline and also where the smoke and heat will not harm living trees. When I get an area cleaned up and piled, I cover part of the pile with one of those cheap plastic tarps, so it will be easier to get the pile to burn when the area is wet. I weight the tarps down with branches or even rocks.

When I can burn legally and safely, I remove the tarp and light the dry part of the pile, usually with a big propane torch or weed burner I have. Using this method I have had good success in getting a clean burn both from a standpoint of getting rid of the fire load and also making minimal smoke.

When to burn is a judgment call. You want there to be a ZERO chance of the fire getting away from you, so you want the area to be quite wet and the winds near calm. Yet you don't want to wait until the untarped part of your pile is so wet that it won't burn properly. In my area this usually means waiting until there have been several heavy Fall rains. I usually try to burn during a rainy or snowy period.

By the way, if your property is in a pine woods, make sure that your roofs are made of a nonflammable product. Composition is OK, but I like metal better. The chances of a fire going through a pine woods is very great. You want to have a large defensible space. It only takes once.....

Good luck, I have been burning piles off and on for several weeks.

I would find out what it takes to legally burn the needles and branches when fire dange is very low or nonexistant. In my area, you have to get a DNR fire permit and follow their regulations, though none of them are unreasonable. I burn during the cool, wet months or during the winter. I would prefer to burn when there is snow on the ground, but we have not had much this year, at least so far...

I find that it works well to pile brush, branches and whatnot in an area where the digging is easy so I can make a fireline and also where the smoke and heat will not harm living trees. When I get an area cleaned up and piled, I cover part of the pile with one of those cheap plastic tarps, so it will be easier to get the pile to burn when the area is wet. I weight the tarps down with branches or even rocks.

When I can burn legally and safely, I remove the tarp and light the dry part of the pile, usually with a big propane torch or weed burner I have. Using this method I have had good success in getting a clean burn both from a standpoint of getting rid of the fire load and also making minimal smoke.

When to burn is a judgment call. You want there to be a ZERO chance of the fire getting away from you, so you want the area to be quite wet and the winds near calm. Yet you don't want to wait until the untarped part of your pile is so wet that it won't burn properly. In my area this usually means waiting until there have been several heavy Fall rains. I usually try to burn during a rainy or snowy period.

By the way, if your property is in a pine woods, make sure that your roofs are made of a nonflammable product. Composition is OK, but I like metal better. The chances of a fire going through a pine woods is very great. You want to have a large defensible space. It only takes once.....

Good luck, I have been burning piles off and on for several weeks.