Nearly Burnt!

sawdust · April 22, 2009, 12:21:32 AM

My buddy was starting up his little skidder and managed to light it on fire! He grappeled it with the big skidder and drug it into the middle of the log yard where the ground is bare. Now the grass is still burning at the first location and heading to the arch-rib with all the firewood equipment in it and the little mill that I run. Happy ending though, the double cut mill just lost the wiring off the front end for the brakes and lights. The small skidder lost the back wheels and is a right off though the motor is likely salvagable. If there are any decent pictures to be had I will take my camera tomorrow, I had planed to go sawing.
Good thing skidders have that blade on the front.

David

customdave · April 22, 2009, 08:57:46 PM

Sounds like a close one Sawdust!, bet that got his heart pumping. Glad the damage wasn'y to bad. Were you there at the time too! Have a good one Sawdust!

Dave

sawdust · April 22, 2009, 09:48:19 PM

I was not there,
I was out there to take pictures today but the SNOW had everything covered! Not much damage the small skidder lost one wheel but Bruce said that when he was throwing water at it the cast iron parts were cracking.
He is mid sixties and commented that his ticker must be in good shape, he was running across the yard repeatedly with two five gallon buckets.
Interesting how fire will race across one area doing no further damage yet get ahold of something that you would think hard to light. the pictures were nothing to look at so I won't post them.

david

Bibbyman · April 22, 2009, 10:50:23 PM

Them fires can give you nightmares for a long time!

We had a fire start from some discarded ashes from the stove in our house. Started sometime in the night when the wind was blowing about 40mph. Burned a couple of acres of pasture, couple acres of woods, about 8mbf of nice cedar logs and some junk logs. Burned within a couple of feet to a 30x60 shed full of lumber with our Dodge setting beside it. It burned up to and scorched the back side of a pile of customer's walnut logs – maybe 50mbf in total! And it could have been worse! A lot worse!

It was a frantic couple of hours putting it out and we had to watch a couple of burning logs and keep putting them out for another week.

Banjo picker · April 22, 2009, 11:13:42 PM

OK , I'll tell on myself, I been holding out. ;D About a week before the mill arived last fall, we still had a bout 15 or so big round bales in the last bay of the shed. I was fire watching as Bobby was doing a little wielding on an arch. I was bored stiff, nothing had happened all day. So I went to the barn a hundred yards or so to get some line, ( I was moving a fence) when I looked up there was an infreno.

Bobby had taken the water hose to put it out, but I had not cemented the freeze proof yard hyd. in yet so he pulled it a little too far, and broke it loose from the pipe underground, where it is now pouring profusely. I get enough hose together to reach from the barn, but guess what no pressrue as the water is streaming from the broken hydrant. The fire ext. had been used but did little good on a hay fire. I finally HAD to realize that I could not do this by my self. Called 911 Got three diffrent fire depts out here, I don't know how many pumper trucks. I moved the hay out of the shed with the Kubota. When I would pick one up it would blaze into a firey ball. If the mill shed had not been so tall it would have burnt for sure. Its 17 ft to the bottom of the trusses, and they had fire marks on them. Some of that hay burnt for days. I think this fits under Nearly Burnt! Tim

SwampDonkey · April 23, 2009, 06:20:05 AM

My uncle for the second time in the last few years had to have the fire department put out his run away grass fire. About 10 years ago it burnt into the woods. But on the far side, about 200 feet, it opened back up to cleared power line. Fire department got the fire out. He doesn't think too seriously about it. Just chuckles like a fool. If fire departments start sending bills it will lose it's fun factor right quick.

ljmathias · April 26, 2009, 03:40:56 PM

Sorry to hear so many close calls, and not so close, too. One of the things you learn down here in SYP tree farms is to do regular controlled burns. Absolutely recommended by foresters and having done a few myself, it's amazing how it keeps the underbrush under control and keeps the debris from piling up. Of course, you have to pick you days carefully so wind doesn't take over and get things out of hand. Also supposed to notify the local fire voluneteer fire department but hardly any one ever does, which means they stop by a couple of times during the burn to make sure you know what you're doing...

Lj

Jasperfield · April 26, 2009, 08:57:25 PM

Fire is way more dangerous than most people think. It seems like it's always sneaking around (just like the devil) waiting to attack. Like it's always present and waiting for just half a chance to erupt.

thompsontimber · July 07, 2009, 06:54:54 PM

Got to experience the equipment fire and all its pleasures last week. Last Tuesday morning, our 848 JD caught fire. We aren't sure how it started, but started in front of the cab, between the engine and the hydraulic tank. We had fire suppression tanks on both the skidder and buncher, plus 3 fire extinguishers on it quick, but it doesn't take long to do a world of damage. Burnt out all the wiring and looks like it got all the hydraulic hoses from the front end to center section. Thanks to "hard times" we sold our other 2 skidders, leaving just the one, and now its out of commission. So, we are on a government job getting pushed hard every day to move it quicker, and lose our only skidder to fire. Got a borrowed Franklin Q80 from the good folks at Tidewater while they hunt for us something comparable to replace the burnt machine. Its quite a step down from the good old 848, but at least we are working. Any body know of a good deal on something in the 748 to 848 size range, get me some info please! Would be interested in JD, Cat, or Tigercat, but its gotta be a big one to handle our loader. 648 size class won't do it

Chico · July 07, 2009, 07:07:24 PM

Dang man when it rains it pours don't it hope your luck gets better
Chico

thompsontimber · July 07, 2009, 09:35:48 PM

You got that right Chico...everytime something goes right and we uncover a bright spot, it clouds up and comes a monsoon on us all over again. Gotta love the loggin life! No doubt it is in my blood, but it might be wise to consider a transfusion.

backwoods sawyer · July 08, 2009, 12:33:17 AM

I left my mill on site over night while milling up a deck of logs for a rock quarry and they were working on some of there equipment that was broke down nearby. There welder did not notice the little fire until it had spread to my mill. I had a hydraulic hose that had been damp with oil and the whole front end of my mill was ablaze before it was put out. Them plastic hydraulic hoses that woodmizer uses just melted off and no one local has the crimps for them It cost $2,500 and two weeks of down time while I rebuilt the front end of the mill. I used the braded hydraulic hoses when I put it back together, the only problem is they are larger diameter and stuffing all of them down the tube was a challenge.
A few years ago, I lost a dump truck to a fire after a hydraulic line blew and sprayed on a hot exhaust. It was a total loss even warped the frame. The sad part of that was a lager fire extinguisher would have put out the fire. 5 lb is just not enough. A 10 lb would have been enough. I keep a 20lb fire extinguishers with the mill and another in the truck.

Tom · July 08, 2009, 02:47:22 AM

What in the world was burned up that cost $2500?

backwoods sawyer · July 11, 2009, 10:03:45 PM

The entire hydraulics box, two pumps, two solenoids, all the hoses to the toe boards, log loader, clamp, log turner and the valve body, filter, pressure gauge, hot rail, ground wires, transducer cable, wiring harness, agus track. It all adds up in a hurry when you are working on the hydraulics. I was glad the control panel had not been fully involved.

LeeB · July 11, 2009, 10:48:27 PM

So, did the quarry offer any compensation for torching your mill?

backwoods sawyer · July 12, 2009, 12:09:23 PM

Quote from: LeeB on July 11, 2009, 10:48:27 PM
So, did the quarry offer any compensation for torching your mill?

Yes, there insurance bought the parts needed and he offered to have them installed as well. I chose to do the work on my mill myself. They are now a multiple repeat customer, and a good friend. He later fired his brother the welder as he cost him a lot of money in other areas as well. I give him a discount when I mill for him, for several reasons, nice clean, straight logs, big timbers, new hydraulics, support equipment, good business ethics.