Fire And Ice

By Uncle Hans

Every year about this time we have a fire.  The trees on this place are ill with a fungus and constantly falling down or threatening to fall down.  (I will write a separate blog on this someday).  so, as they fall or get "harvested" I stack the wood to burn and the branches on this huge pile in the woods.  Then, when the snow comes, and it is safe to burn without fear of spreading to a forest fire, we have a big fire......

 

.....it is a tricky thing to get a brushpile covered in snow to ignite.  The first step is to collect corrugated cardboard in a large box, actually three large boxes.  The second step it to use the chainsaw to carve our a "cave" in the pile......

 

.....then the box of corrugated cardboard is doused liberally with diesel fuel.  (only firestarters with a death wish use gasoline, which is wicked volatile, explosive and dangerous).  Then the boxes are placed into the caves and the area around them is similarly doused........

 

......then, finally, you light them.  The boxes must be place on the "upwind" side so the wind drives the fire into the pile as it spreads.......

 

.....Then sit back and open a beer.  The snow makes it very safe, just hard to start. Soon, the burning place is all ready for another year's worth of branches.  Just wish the branches would collect themselves, march to the pile, and jump on, all by themselves......

By Uncle Hans