How to Safely Burn Brush

5/29/2018 (Permalink)

In Maine, one of the standard methods of disposing of brush and lawn debris is to gather it into a pile and burn it. Although this is may be considered to be a time-honored tradition by many throughout the state, it also comes with its fair share of safety hazards.

Consider chipping or composting brush or grass before burning. If you must burn, make sure you know the rules and follow these tips to ensure you burn grass and woody debris safely.

Choose a safe time

• Burn during the coolest, dampest and calmest time of the day: 2 hours before sunset, or later
• Fires are more likely to get out of control on a hot, dry or windy day
• Extinguish fires two hours after sunrise, or earlier.

Keep your fire small

• Small fires can be controlled by 1 person using hand tools and water
• Keep your pile of wood, brush, or wood by-products to be burned less than six feet in diameter and less than six feet high
• An area of grass or leaves can be burned if the area is less than 2.5 acres and the length of the flaming edge is kept to less than 30 metres (100 feet)

Choose a safe site

• Keep burning piles at least six feet from other flammable material so the fire doesn’t escape by running along the ground away from the pile or burn area
• If burning an area of grass or leaves, make sure the area is surrounded by a fire-proof boundary, such as a road or a wet ditch.

Stay with your fire

• If you start a fire outdoors, you must tend the fire, keep it under control, and extinguish it before leaving the site
• A responsible person must be present to tend the fire at all times, even if it is contained in an incinerator
• Keep adequate tools and water on hand to control the fire if it begins to spread

Should you suffer fire damage, contact SERVPRO of Bangor/Ellsworth at (207)947-0400!  Let us help you make it "Like it never even happened."