Article here. Yes, that is a massive pile of dung measuring 100 feet long, 30 feet high and 50 feet wide! And yes, it’s smoldering!
:eek:
Ok, I have a couple of questions:
The article says that the pile resulted from “byproducts [of] the massive operation” (large cattle farm). How does the pile get that big? I’m assuming there is some machine that spits out the manure into the pile. But 30 feet high?
The article says that “they are common sites in rural states.” Are they usually this big? If so, why do they let them get so big?
The article says that “heat from the decomposing manure deep inside the pile eventually ignited the manure.” What’s the straight dope on this? If this is true, and these massive dung piles are “common” throughout rural states, shouldn’t this be a fairly common occurance? This is the first I’ve of “Cow Shit Fires”.
“the smoke is not particularly malodorous” - What? Why?
Given that they can’t use water to put it out (runoff concerns), and they move the pile (additional fires start), what would be the best way to extinguish it?
The pile gets that big because the cattle continue to provide fresh product. It’s 30 feet high because otherwise it would be lower but w i d e r.
“They” let them get big because “they” aren’t concerned about it constituting a problem.
This type of fire is not uncommon. There’s a place nearby that processes bark mulch. Piles there are in the 40-50’ range, and they are often seen smoking. Remember that organic decomposition is a natural process, one which liberates heat. Confine that heat through physical mass, and you’ll have a smoldering fire. I’ve turned over piles of grass and leaf based lawn waste and found ash at the bottom.
I’m no scientist but would presume the combustion to also consume any methane or other odoriferous gases present in the immediate area of burning-the fresh product likely contributes more to the ambiance of the surroundings.
Before we worry about extinguishment-my first question is why worry? If there is no life hazard, no property hazard, and no environmental threat-let nature take it’s course. From a practical standpoint, the only way bulk fires can be extinguished is to break up the fuel such that water or AFFF mixtures can penetrate.
It always nice to hearken back to my days in the agricultural industry.
I’ve never seen a dung heap THAT big, but I’ve seen pretty big ones. All you need is a loader (a tractor with a bulldozer blade on front) and you can build some pretty high mounds.
Yup, decomposing organic matter can get pretty hot on the inside of the pile. However, the mounds generally aren’t left undistrubed long enough for really serious problems to occur.
Decomposing organic matter produces methane gas, which burns quite well. Pure methane doesn’t smell. I assume the organic compounds trapped in the smoke either were “deactivated” by the fire or so widely dispersed through the air that they didn’t reek as much as the raw stuff left on the ground.
For an object that large the best way to extinguish it is to let it burn itself out. With smaller mound fires, the most common method is to knock down the mound and then dump sand or dirt on the smoldering parts.
The nature of meat production has changed since a few decades ago. Instead of a farmer raising cattle from calf to market-ready on his own spread, and having no more cattle than his fields could feed, the whole thing is more concentrated now. The farmer buys hay and grain from outside his farm to feed a larger number of animals. When the beeves are a few weeks from market, they are sold to a feedlot. It’s sort of a crowded cafeteria where cattle stand around and eat. They gain weight, and, of course, they poop. When the beeves are shoulder to shoulder, there is a whole lot of poop. A $#/+load of it. Government regs require that big earthen levees be built around storage lagoons. The feedlots offer manure to local farmers willing to spread it on their fields and breathe the fumes, but the supply exceeds the demand. Even if there isn’t a big rainstorm, the levees sometimes break. The runoff gets into streams. The feedlot owners get fined. It is not a pretty picture, nor a fragrant one.
I’ve heard of this sort of thing happening with mulching plant bits, but I can’t understand exactly how it works. I assume that the oxidation of the materials starts as a biological/bacterial action, but at some point, it must change to a chemical reaction, as all of the bacteria would be killed by the heat.
Anyone know the straight dope on this? I’m just guessing.
I have nothing to add to the OP, but if your user name is truly indicative of your location you are the closest poster location-wise to me that I have ever run across in 5 years on the SDMB. Welcome to the SDMB! Hope you stick around!
There used to be a feedlot down the road a piece from where I live. I don’t think the piles ever got quite that high, but it did pile up a mite sometimes. Cows dump a LOT of manure when they are stuffing themselves!
Actually, such a pile can be quite dangerous…it can also produce carbon monoxide! Rural sawmills also have HUGE piles of sawdust. it is VERY dangerous to go near such piles, because they are frequently slowly combusting (in the centers), and thus producing carbon monoxude.
Several childern have died by playing on mounds of sawdust-being overcome by carbon monoxide is a terrible way to die!
Most landfills emit methan gas…and many municipalities have drilled wells into old landfills…the gas can be used just like natural gas.
