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What's with all the back-yard fires in Appalachia?

Posted on 04/03/2025 5:00:47 PM PDT by dangus

So not too long ago, I moved to Appalachia. For the most part, it's great. Except my wife and son both have been having persistent allergies and lethargy because the locals are CONSTANTLY burning fires in their backyards. They look like campfires: they're not in picnic grills or brick ovens or smokers, but there's always some sort of firesite. They're left unattended almost always.

Can anyone tell me what's going on? My wife thinks it's some sort of folk spirit-cleansing ritual, but these people are all supposedly Christians. Her other notion is its for health, but having the air constantly stink of fire can't be healthy. What gives?


TOPICS: Chit/Chat; Health/Medicine
KEYWORDS: appalachia; vanity
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To: dangus

Burn pile to get rid of yard waste.


41 posted on 04/03/2025 5:27:43 PM PDT by glorgau
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To: dangus

Perhaps you should go out and meet your neighbors. Maybe sit down by the fire and enjoy the company. Believe it or not, we are not dancing with snakes in faith healing ceremonies or brewing moonshine (no money in that anymore). Mostly just burning trash, leaves, or making s’mores and enjoying the stars.


42 posted on 04/03/2025 5:30:54 PM PDT by elihuspeaks
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To: Governor Dinwiddie

Good idea, I usually burn a tire only on Earth Day.


43 posted on 04/03/2025 5:30:59 PM PDT by Tijeras_Slim
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To: Repeal The 17th

Whoa…. Deja vu. Ive done that too.


44 posted on 04/03/2025 5:31:47 PM PDT by Professional ( )
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To: dangus

Well, if you don’t like it, you can always go back to where you came from. We can help you pack.


45 posted on 04/03/2025 5:32:37 PM PDT by Engraved-on-His-hands
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To: Red Badger

LOL! I grew up in an area where septic tanks were VERY common. We had to watch which brand of TP we used... and absolutely no “flushable wipes!” (Well, we didn’t have them when I was a kid, but my parents still live in that neighborhood.) But BURNING toilet paper? Just wow.


46 posted on 04/03/2025 5:33:11 PM PDT by dangus
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To: dangus

I live on half acre, wooded area. I burn yard debris constantly! I have 2 fires each week. I got mega pit for industrial size burning, pleasure pit for hanging out. So if I lived on 5 acres? I’d be burning daily.


47 posted on 04/03/2025 5:33:44 PM PDT by Professional ( )
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To: dangus

Being American. Love it or leave it.

Climate Change Fires, helping things along.


48 posted on 04/03/2025 5:35:54 PM PDT by If You Want It Fixed - Fix It
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To: Alberta's Child

Wish I could still burn our trash here in Northern California. Liked my burn barrel very much, but I guess it was air pollution in Riverside county that caused a state-wide ban on such burning. Ugh..

As for the Appalachains—I imagine its the season for burning all the downed trees and cut back brush and what not from Winter. We are still allowed to do that here and are doing that these days—when its not raining. Rains have been happening late this Spring...


49 posted on 04/03/2025 5:36:19 PM PDT by abigkahuna
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To: dangus

It goes on all the time in Oregon.
People burning trash.
They burn early AM or late PM so the smoke can’t be seen.


50 posted on 04/03/2025 5:36:27 PM PDT by doc maverick
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To: dangus

Have you ever lived in the country?? People burn stuff. That’s just what we do. I have sticks and trash that need to be burnt all the time.


51 posted on 04/03/2025 5:37:06 PM PDT by DouglasKC
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To: dangus

Move away now.

L


52 posted on 04/03/2025 5:37:07 PM PDT by Lurker ( Peaceful coexistence with the Left is not possible. Stop pretending that it is.)
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To: dangus

You could go up and ask them what they are burning.


53 posted on 04/03/2025 5:40:10 PM PDT by political1 (Love your neighbors)
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To: dangus

you’re in the country now- deep country- everyone burns trash- Most Everyone has burn barrels- They also don’t take kindly to being told what to do- Burn Barrels, onsite dump sites animal farms that are smelly enough to gag a maggot- Toxic fumes everywhere- Junk vehicles all over properties- etc etc etc- Welcome to the country


54 posted on 04/03/2025 5:40:26 PM PDT by Bob434 (Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana)
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To: dangus

We simply like to keep a fire burning or the coal hot enough to stoke and create fire quickly. It is how we relax.


55 posted on 04/03/2025 5:40:32 PM PDT by Racketeer
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To: Jonty30

I bet we get 20 buckets of ash over the winter from the wood stove, I dump it on the raised beds and holy cow the way some things grow. Mostly sand here in SW MI and might as well be the Sahara but have great drainage...bought a metal garbage can a couple years ago and use that exclusively on the raised beds, no O-T-C stuff here!


56 posted on 04/03/2025 5:44:16 PM PDT by quantim (Victory is not relative, it is absolute.)
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To: abigkahuna

[[Liked my burn barrel very much]]

We made oen that was almost an incinerator- it had holes beneath a grate that the trash set on, large intake holes- and when the fire would get going, it would suck the air from the ground up through the barrel- and flames would reach quite high lol- had to make sure though not to use it when it was dry out- we usually waited till light rain to burn in the barrel-


57 posted on 04/03/2025 5:44:26 PM PDT by Bob434 (Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana)
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To: dangus

“With an attitude like that, it’s no wonder the lifespan is 10 years shorter. Burning 19th century waste: probably healthy and natural. Burning 21st century waste: the best way to make the deadliest sorts of toxic fumes imaginable”


You missed a big irony here. With their ‘healthy and natural’ waste burning, the 19th century people’s lives were 20 years shorter than now. Healthy and natural, yeah, sure.


58 posted on 04/03/2025 5:45:11 PM PDT by miniTAX
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To: dangus

Probably trash or brush. ‘

Now, the gunshots ...


59 posted on 04/03/2025 5:46:36 PM PDT by VeniVidiVici (Burma Shave)
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To: miniTAX

Yup- the ‘toxic fumes’; are keeping us young and livign longer than olden time folks lol-


60 posted on 04/03/2025 5:47:55 PM PDT by Bob434 (Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana)
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