62 
PILING AND BURNING 
By the method of slash disposal used by the. Forest Seryice in 
California and generally known as piling and burning, the slash is 
piled as logging progresses, and all or part of the piles are burned 
at a season of the year, usually late fall, when fire will not spread 
in the litter. Constant study and practice by many men oyer a long 
period of years haye deyeloped the technique of this method to a 
high point, and in actual practice under close superyision results 
are generally good. Properly used, the system cleans up 75 to 90 
per cent of the slash with only a small percentage of damage to 
adyance reproduction and seed trees. (Fig. 22.) 
Instructions to Brush Pliers on National Forest Timber Sales 
1. Axes and pitchforks are the 
best tools for brush piling. 
2. Limb all tops. 
3. All brush should be piled in 
tepee-shaped piles with the large 
limbs up to 4 inches in diameter 
on the outside. Larger limbs 
should be left out of the piles. Do 
not pile it in windrows, or it will 
have to be replied. 
4. Piles should be 5 to 7 feet 
across and 4 to 6 feet high. 
Larger piles may be made in large 
openings and smaller piles in small 
openings. 
5. Build piles compactly so that 
they will shed rain and snow and 
will burn readily after storms. 
6. Keep the piles well away 
from green timber and young 
growth (15 feet away if possible). 
7. Pile no brush on dead and 
down timber. 
8. Pile oak, manzanita, and 
young trees destroyed in logging 
with the other brush. 
9. If you do not understand 
these instructions ask the forest 
oflScer in charge of the sale. It is 
his business to show you how to 
do this work. 
That skill and care must be exercised in the employment of the 
method has been demonstrated repeatedly, on both national forest 
and priyate lands. Without entering into a lengthy dissertation on 
the inherent dangers, the principal points of failure may be pointed 
out. The object of the practice is of course to reduce fire hazard 
and still preserye the adyance rej^roduction and seed trees after 
logging. 
SOUECES OF DAXGER 
(1) Misjudging conditions and burning at a time when the fire 
will spread. Result, wiping out or seriously damaging adyance re- 
production and seed trees. 
(2) Sudden change in weather while burning is in progress, so 
that fires spread before they can be stopped. Result, same as 1. 
Or heavy rain or snow in the first fall storm postpones burning until 
a season when slash is more difficult to burn. 
(3) Touching off too many near-by piles at one time. Result, 
drying out of litter and the spread of fires. 
(4) Poor location of piles, mixed in with adyance reproduction, 
instead of being placed in open spots or on skid trails. This is al- 
most certain to happen without close superyision. Result, piles 
must be either left or replied or, if they are burned, advance repro- 
duction is destroyed. 
