How to Set Fire to Leaves
Collect the leaves., Put the leaves somewhere sensible., Prepare yourself for the fire., Light the leaves., Keep watch., Safely put the fire out.
Step-by-Step Guide
-
Step 1: Collect the leaves.
There's no point trying to burn each and every leaf while it's still on the floor of your garden.
Not only will it leave burnt leaves and ashes everywhere, it's very dangerous too.
The fire can easily spread and burn your whole house down! To keep the fire safe and controlled, you need the leaves to be in one place.
Use a rake or broom to sweep the leaves into one neat and tidy pile. -
Step 2: Put the leaves somewhere sensible.
If you leave the leaves on the grass and burn them, the grass will obviously catch fire too.
If you have a patio or a sheet of metal, put the pile of leaves on there.
When they start burning, only the leaves will catch fire and nothing else.
This means that the fire will be much more controlled and the risk of this going wrong is much lower. , Before you throw a match into that annoying pile of leaves, you need to take some safety precautions.
Firstly, remove any baggy clothing.
This doesn't mean strip naked, it means remove a baggy jumper or coat that could catch fire.
T-shirts and jeans usually don't catch fire but try to wear something well-fitting just to be safe.
Any ties must be removed or tucked in.
Tie back long hair.
Keep a bucket of water nearby.
Fill a large bucket with cold water in case something goes wrong and the fire needs to be put out quickly.
More importantly, the bucket can be used if somebody else catches fire and needs to be saved.
Alternatively, you can keep a garden hose nearby as long as the water can be turned on quickly. , Although soaking the leaves in petrol and letting a cigarette fall from your mouth into them in slow motion sounds cool, it's actually pretty dangerous.
Instead, light a small, but long, piece of wood and burn the leaves from a distance.
You can also use a lighter that is quite long, not a small cigarette lighter.
Light one or two leaves at first and let the fire spread.
If the leaves aren't burning at all, add a small drop of white spirit into the pile.
White spirit is highly flammable so only add a tiny bit. , Constantly supervise the fire while it's lit to make sure nothing goes wrong.
If you go to bed and let it burn, you may be waking up to the sound of sirens and the fire brigade! If it's a cold night, warm your hands over the fire.
Don't get too close as you can burn yourself, use your head.
If it's a hot summers day, sit back with a sandwich or lemonade and enjoy the heat on your face.
If the fire does spread to somewhere it's not supposed to go, use the bucket of water to put it all out and start the burning process.
It may sound extreme but it's better than letting some of it still burn only to have the same thing happen again. , When all the leaves are burnt, you may be left with a pile of ash that looks like it's gone out.
To be safe, pour some water over it and then sweep the ashes up.
Dispose of them by putting them into the bucket of water.
This will help you be 100 percent sure that all of the fire has gone out.
It will also make sure that your house and everybody inside it
-including you- is 100 percent safe.
Pour the bucket of ash and water down a drain once you're satisfied that the fire has gone out. -
Step 3: Prepare yourself for the fire.
-
Step 4: Light the leaves.
-
Step 5: Keep watch.
-
Step 6: Safely put the fire out.
Detailed Guide
There's no point trying to burn each and every leaf while it's still on the floor of your garden.
Not only will it leave burnt leaves and ashes everywhere, it's very dangerous too.
The fire can easily spread and burn your whole house down! To keep the fire safe and controlled, you need the leaves to be in one place.
Use a rake or broom to sweep the leaves into one neat and tidy pile.
If you leave the leaves on the grass and burn them, the grass will obviously catch fire too.
If you have a patio or a sheet of metal, put the pile of leaves on there.
When they start burning, only the leaves will catch fire and nothing else.
This means that the fire will be much more controlled and the risk of this going wrong is much lower. , Before you throw a match into that annoying pile of leaves, you need to take some safety precautions.
Firstly, remove any baggy clothing.
This doesn't mean strip naked, it means remove a baggy jumper or coat that could catch fire.
T-shirts and jeans usually don't catch fire but try to wear something well-fitting just to be safe.
Any ties must be removed or tucked in.
Tie back long hair.
Keep a bucket of water nearby.
Fill a large bucket with cold water in case something goes wrong and the fire needs to be put out quickly.
More importantly, the bucket can be used if somebody else catches fire and needs to be saved.
Alternatively, you can keep a garden hose nearby as long as the water can be turned on quickly. , Although soaking the leaves in petrol and letting a cigarette fall from your mouth into them in slow motion sounds cool, it's actually pretty dangerous.
Instead, light a small, but long, piece of wood and burn the leaves from a distance.
You can also use a lighter that is quite long, not a small cigarette lighter.
Light one or two leaves at first and let the fire spread.
If the leaves aren't burning at all, add a small drop of white spirit into the pile.
White spirit is highly flammable so only add a tiny bit. , Constantly supervise the fire while it's lit to make sure nothing goes wrong.
If you go to bed and let it burn, you may be waking up to the sound of sirens and the fire brigade! If it's a cold night, warm your hands over the fire.
Don't get too close as you can burn yourself, use your head.
If it's a hot summers day, sit back with a sandwich or lemonade and enjoy the heat on your face.
If the fire does spread to somewhere it's not supposed to go, use the bucket of water to put it all out and start the burning process.
It may sound extreme but it's better than letting some of it still burn only to have the same thing happen again. , When all the leaves are burnt, you may be left with a pile of ash that looks like it's gone out.
To be safe, pour some water over it and then sweep the ashes up.
Dispose of them by putting them into the bucket of water.
This will help you be 100 percent sure that all of the fire has gone out.
It will also make sure that your house and everybody inside it
-including you- is 100 percent safe.
Pour the bucket of ash and water down a drain once you're satisfied that the fire has gone out.
About the Author
Eugene King
Eugene King has dedicated 9 years to mastering education and learning. As a content creator, Eugene focuses on providing actionable tips and step-by-step guides.
Rate This Guide
How helpful was this guide? Click to rate: