Reply to: The magic fire that won't go out

[DallasDad]

Over the past few Autumns I have been layering my fields boundary hedges plus I often have no end of prunings that are too small to keep for the wood burners indoors

So we often have a fair size bonfire in an early stage of 'building uppiness'
Here is a typical starter heap and yes my Geese were chasing my Shetlands, they do it for a laugh.

Anyway once about twice this size and lit it will burn down over night and the ash will form a very effective clamp.
Even heavy rain won't have a significant impact.
A quick rake the next morning and it will burst into flames.
I often keep a single bonfire going for a day or three, the clamps are great for doing jacket potatoes (in tin foil).
To put yours out just rake it out over a wider area to get rid of the clamp mound.
Bear in mind the soil will stay hot for days so keep pets (and geese away) I put Sheep hurdles around mine.

[DodgyAgent]

So we had the gardeners in yesterday to prune the overgrown trees, shrubs, hedges, laurel etc.
And they made a fire to burn the garden waste (garden is large and adjoins other large gardens, so smoke not an issue).
Then it rained quite heavily last night - I'd assumed that would put it out.
And today I found the fire still going! So I took advantage and added some more wet garden waste on it.
But its crackling away like a good 'un - Don't know how I could put it out even I wanted to.
What sort of accelerant did the fookers use, I wonder.

It will go out once Brexit kicks in

[barrydidit]

Still going - ho hum ...

Is this your post brexit attempt to torch the island for the insurance brass?

[CretinWatcher]

Still going - ho hum ...

[quackhandle]

Saddened the thread title did not involve a Smiths song title.

I'm sure many EU nationals living here could identify with the lyrics. [Ben Elton]OO-ER little bit of politics...[/Ben Elton]

Oh, please don't drop me home
Because it's not my home, it's their
Home, and I'm welcome no more



qh

[CretinWatcher]

They haven't started something like this have they?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centralia_mine_fire

Dunno. There was quite a heavy shower just now. But the fooker is smoking away, hasn't been killed yet. It's so wet I reckon it's safe just to let it do its thing overnight

[minestrone]

Saddened the thread title did not involve a Smiths song title.

[MrMarkyMark]

FTFY

Were they ex-army Brexiter bods, who started the fire by lighting a slab of brown plasticky looking stuff?

If so, I wouldn't go too near it in case a twig snaps in the heat ...

[OwlHoot]

Shame I didn't watch how they started it. ...

Were they ex-army bods, who started the fire by lighting a slab of brown plasticky looking stuff?

If so, I wouldn't go too near it in case a twig snaps in the heat ...

[CretinWatcher]

Are you sure your wife hasn't hidden her collection of clothes, shoes and money milked from her ex-husband in the shrubs?

Must be made of something very flammable.

[FatLazyContractor]

It's just damp leaves and small shrub branches - that;'s why I'm surprised its still going.
There was heavy rain just before it was lit yesterday so nothing was dry.
.

Are you sure your wife hasn't hidden her collection of clothes, shoes and money milked from her ex-husband in the shrubs?

[CretinWatcher]

Yes, still diesel, it will have soaked into the wet wood and will wick through it for many hours. The dry material should have burned quite fiercely.

It's just damp leaves and small shrub branches - that;'s why I'm surprised its still going.
There was heavy rain just before it was lit yesterday so nothing was dry.

It will take a LOT of water to quench it if there is still a lot of things to burn.
I've seen a diesel fire of garden waste/branches burn for 3+ days.

Yikes!

It's an interesting education though - if you're going on a camping trip or on a jungle expedition, its possible to have a fire continue indefinitely even through heavy rain. Who knew. Apart from you smartypants.
Shame I didn't watch how they started it.

Lighting an unquenchable but controlled fire - that's a proper life skill, that is.

[WTFH]

I thought it was practically impossible to set fire to diesel at normal atmospheric pressure and any reasonable temperature

I mean a diesel puddle won't ignite if you simply drop a lighted match on it.

Diesel will burn in one of two ways - by being sprayed as small droplets or by wicking. That's how old Agas/Rayburns work. If it has something to wick through it will burn for a long time

[MrMarkyMark]

Suity's new fire lighter can even set water on fire.

Its in Beta..

[FatLazyContractor]

I thought it was practically impossible to set fire to diesel at normal atmospheric pressure and any reasonable temperature

I mean a diesel puddle won't ignite if you simply drop a lighted match on it.

Suity's new fire lighter can even set water on fire.