A wood waste burner, known as a teepee burner or wigwam burner in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

and a beehive burner in

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

, is a free-standing conical steel structure usually ranging from 30 to 60 feet in height. They are named for their resemblance to

beehive A beehive is an enclosed structure in which some honey bee species of the subgenus '' Apis'' live and raise their young. Though the word ''beehive'' is commonly used to describe the nest of any bee colony, scientific and professional literature ...

teepees A tipi , often called a lodge in English, is a conical tent, historically made of animal hides or pelts, and in more recent generations of canvas, stretched on a framework of wooden poles. The word is Siouan, and in use in Dakhótiyapi, Lakȟó ...

wigwam A wigwam, wickiup, wetu (Wampanoag), or wiigiwaam (Ojibwe, in syllabics: ) is a semi-permanent domed dwelling formerly used by certain Native American tribes and First Nations people and still used for ceremonial events. The term ''wickiup' ...

s. A sawdust burner is cylindrical. They have an opening at the top that is covered with a steel grill or mesh to keep sparks and glowing embers from escaping. Sawdust and wood scraps are delivered to an opening near the top of the cone by means of a conveyor belt or

Archimedes' screw The Archimedes screw, also known as the Archimedean screw, hydrodynamic screw, water screw or Egyptian screw, is one of the earliest hydraulic machines. Using Archimedes screws as water pumps (Archimedes screw pump (ASP) or screw pump) dates back ...

, where they fall onto the fire near the center of the structure. Teepee or beehive burners are used to dispose of waste wood in logging yards and sawdust from

sawmill A sawmill (saw mill, saw-mill) or lumber mill is a facility where logs are cut into lumber. Modern sawmills use a motorized saw to cut logs lengthwise to make long pieces, and crosswise to length depending on standard or custom sizes (dimensi ...

s by incineration. As a result, they produce a large quantity of smoke and ash, which is vented directly into the atmosphere without filtering, contributing to poor air quality. The burners are considered to be a major source of

air pollution Air pollution is the contamination of air due to the presence of substances in the atmosphere that are harmful to the health of humans and other living beings, or cause damage to the climate or to materials. There are many different typ ...

and have been phased out in most areas. There are a few beehive burners remaining in Western Canada. Teepee burners went out of general use in the

Northwestern United States The Northwestern United States, also known as the American Northwest or simply the Northwest, is an informal geographic region of the United States. The region consistently includes the states of Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana and Wyoming. ...

in the early 1970s, and are prohibited from operation in

Oregon Oregon () is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of its eastern boundary with Idaho. T ...

, as well as southwestern

Washington State Washington (), officially the State of Washington, is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. Named for George Washington—the first U.S. president—the state was formed from the western part of the Washington ...

. The wood waste is now used as a component in various

forest product A forest product is any material derived from forestry for direct consumption or commercial use, such as lumber, paper, or fodder for livestock. Wood, by far the dominant product of forests, is used for many purposes, such as wood fuel (e.g. in fo ...

s, such as pellet fuel,

particle board Particle board, also known as chipboard or low-density fiberboard, is an engineered wood product manufactured from wood chips and a synthetic resin or other suitable binder, which is pressed and extruded. Particle board is often confused with ...

and

mulch A mulch is a layer of material applied to the surface of soil. Reasons for applying mulch include conservation of soil moisture, improving fertility and health of the soil, reducing weed growth and enhancing the visual appeal of the area. A mu ...

Gallery

File:Balaclava Mill - Sawdust Burner.JPG, Sawdust burner in Balaclava,

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central C ...

File:Halfwaywigwam.JPG, Wigwam burner in

Halfway, Oregon Halfway is a city in Baker County, Oregon, United States. The city took its name from the location of its post office, on the Alexander Stalker ranch, halfway between Pine and Jim Town. The population was 288 at the 2010 census. During the do ...

File:Wigwam Burner (Drain, Oregon).jpg, Wigwam burner in

Drain, Oregon Drain is a city in Douglas County, Oregon, United States. The population was 1,151 at the 2010 census. Drain is named after town founder and politician Charles J. Drain, who donated of nearby land to the Oregon and California Railroad in 1871.Co ...

File:Wigwam Burner (Swisshome, Oregon).jpg, Wigwam burner near Swisshome, Oregon File:Wigwam Burner (Mapleton, Oregon).jpg, Wigwam burner near

Mapleton, Oregon Mapleton is an unincorporated community in Lane County, Oregon, United States. It is located on Oregon Route 126 and the Siuslaw River, west of Eugene and east of Florence. It is also the western terminus of Oregon Route 36. As of the 2000 ...

File:WIGWAM BURNER AT THE LOUISIANA PACIFIC LUMBER PLANT AT POST FALLS, IDAHO - NARA - 548157.jpg, Wigwam burner at a

Louisiana-Pacific Louisiana-Pacific Corporation, commonly known as "LP", is an American building materials manufacturer. It was founded in 1973 and is currently based in Nashville, Tennessee. LP pioneered the U.S. production of oriented strand board (OSB) panels ...

lumber plant in

Post Falls, Idaho Post Falls is a city in Kootenai County, Idaho, between Coeur d'Alene and Spokane, Washington. It is a suburb of Coeur d'Alene, to the east, and a bedroom community to Spokane, to the west. The population was 38,485 at the time of the 2020 cens ...

(May 1973)

References

External links

* {{cite news , url= http://www.thefreelibrary.com/A+BURNER+OBSESSION.(Arts+&+Literature)(On+a+quest+to+preserve+the...-a0101453053 , title= A Burner Obsession , last= Keefer , first= Bob , work=

The Register-Guard ''The Register-Guard'' is a daily newspaper in the northwestern United States, published in Eugene, Oregon. It was formed in a 1930 merger of two Eugene papers, the ''Eugene Daily Guard'' and the ''Morning Register''. The paper serves the Eugene- ...

, location= Eugene, Oregon , via=The Free Library , date= May 4, 2003 , accessdate= 2008-05-28
Historic images of teepee burners in Oregon
from the Salem, Oregon, Public Library

Environmental issues in Canada History of the Pacific Northwest Incineration Logging

Gallery

See also

References

External links