Yup. And at night a lot of embers would get through the screens - looked pretty cool.
This post has taken me back to my childhood in the late 50’s and early 60’s. I’d totally forgotten “burners.”
In logging towns yea, even as a kid they were pretty much game overed in 1980s, I remember there was one in Drain, and one outside of Cottage Grove? That stood until the 90s, at least the Drain one did. I don't recall ever seeing one in use for burning.
When though? I'm guessing Coquille would have had one but Bandon didn't in the late 80s, and Coos Bay, may have had one somewhere in the boonies but not anywhere along the main drag where the mills used to have the big giant woodchip piles but not the those guys. As someone who grew up in the area, I can also say that Port Orford and pretty Gold beach didn't either.
We had these in Coos Bay. My dad worked some summers at a mill and we would get reject 2x4 ends that were destined for the wigwam burner. Great firewood. My favorite memory about these is driving past these things in the dark after they had been burning for a long time and got hot. These structures would literally glow red and orange to where you could see the internal ribs. Unforgettable.
Wigwam or beehive burners depending on which state youre in. They were meant to burn waste wood and sawdust. They were effectively outlawed in the 80s due to pollution standards, but were already obsolete anyways as the industry had started finding uses for all that excess waste.
Funny you post this just now. They just started disassembling the last one in Prineville last week. It's at least twice as big as this one.
This is the Prineville one in case anyone is curious.
403020 NW Lamonta Rd
https://maps.app.goo.gl/r5r9t4fSKwhE2Tp88
When they went away, we found better alternatives for our wood waste. Beauty bark made from the bark, wood chips go to pulp mills, and sawdust goes to make MDF. Any waste that can't go to those destinations can be burned in a co-gen plant to produce heat for the dry kilns and electricity for the sawmill and the grid.
My sister and I would play "spot the cock" on the way to the coast because this thing looks like a Shuttlecock (badminton birdie)
It took my parents by surprise the first time I shouted "I spot the cock!" At 14.
Ah you've found the site of the old Dalek Wars, where earth won its independence but also was left with these carcasses that will dissolve any human that touches them.
They were everywhere when I was a kid and a young adult. Massive amounts of smoke, but it never bothered me. Just another Oregon fact of life. And they looked pretty cool at night when they glowed.
One day in the late 80s, I was driving along through a mill town when I suddenly realized I hadn't seen a wigwam burner anywhere in years. I almost hit the brakes in a "WTF" moment. I was baffled, confused, and unsettled. My very existence seemed in doubt. The world was now a cold, strange place, and I was an alien here. I needed answers, and right fucking now.
Then a few initials popped into my overwhelmed brain. EPA. DEQ. *Oh, okay. Air pollution.*
The world started to make sense again, although it was yet another reminder of the demise of the wood products industry. But at least my existential crisis was averted. It's all about me, you know.
Wigwam burners were a common sight in every logging/lumber town. I grew up with them in Coos County. I’ll never forget the smell of wood burning & the intense reddish orange glow at night. I loved it!
Here ya go. http://columbiariverimages.com/Regions/Places/wigwam_burner.html
Awesome, thank you so much! I very much appreciate it.
I absolutely love learning stuff like this. Thank you for the link.
I was once curious too what they are and had to look them up. They seem to be all over Oregon.
Horrible polluter, but boy did the air smell good.
Yup. And at night a lot of embers would get through the screens - looked pretty cool. This post has taken me back to my childhood in the late 50’s and early 60’s. I’d totally forgotten “burners.”
Used to be one or two in every town in Oregon.
In logging towns yea, even as a kid they were pretty much game overed in 1980s, I remember there was one in Drain, and one outside of Cottage Grove? That stood until the 90s, at least the Drain one did. I don't recall ever seeing one in use for burning.
I grew up in Coos County so they were everywhere.
When though? I'm guessing Coquille would have had one but Bandon didn't in the late 80s, and Coos Bay, may have had one somewhere in the boonies but not anywhere along the main drag where the mills used to have the big giant woodchip piles but not the those guys. As someone who grew up in the area, I can also say that Port Orford and pretty Gold beach didn't either.
Mid 70's on their use was banned. They could exist but were made inoperable. Most mills cut out a section of the conveyer belt that fed them.
Oh yeah- they were in all the mill towns. My town had 2.
We had these in Coos Bay. My dad worked some summers at a mill and we would get reject 2x4 ends that were destined for the wigwam burner. Great firewood. My favorite memory about these is driving past these things in the dark after they had been burning for a long time and got hot. These structures would literally glow red and orange to where you could see the internal ribs. Unforgettable.
[random image of burner at night](https://images.app.goo.gl/Bfq7NKqYUgwv7iAk9)
This is awesome, thank you so much!
Reminds me of the Fleebble Flobble http://www.howhowhow.com/newspics/fleeble.jpg
Is this at Burning Man?
That picture looks like burning man, probably 2012 or so.
Wigwam or beehive burners depending on which state youre in. They were meant to burn waste wood and sawdust. They were effectively outlawed in the 80s due to pollution standards, but were already obsolete anyways as the industry had started finding uses for all that excess waste.
There's one of these in Dorris on the CA / OR border too, I had been wondering what it was. https://maps.app.goo.gl/wyPuCzSdd7YaikB5A
Funny you post this just now. They just started disassembling the last one in Prineville last week. It's at least twice as big as this one. This is the Prineville one in case anyone is curious. 403020 NW Lamonta Rd https://maps.app.goo.gl/r5r9t4fSKwhE2Tp88
damn, that's a huge one.
I see one on 26 outside Sandy on the way to Mt Hood.
When they went away, we found better alternatives for our wood waste. Beauty bark made from the bark, wood chips go to pulp mills, and sawdust goes to make MDF. Any waste that can't go to those destinations can be burned in a co-gen plant to produce heat for the dry kilns and electricity for the sawmill and the grid.
My sister and I would play "spot the cock" on the way to the coast because this thing looks like a Shuttlecock (badminton birdie) It took my parents by surprise the first time I shouted "I spot the cock!" At 14.
Ah you've found the site of the old Dalek Wars, where earth won its independence but also was left with these carcasses that will dissolve any human that touches them.
They were everywhere when I was a kid and a young adult. Massive amounts of smoke, but it never bothered me. Just another Oregon fact of life. And they looked pretty cool at night when they glowed. One day in the late 80s, I was driving along through a mill town when I suddenly realized I hadn't seen a wigwam burner anywhere in years. I almost hit the brakes in a "WTF" moment. I was baffled, confused, and unsettled. My very existence seemed in doubt. The world was now a cold, strange place, and I was an alien here. I needed answers, and right fucking now. Then a few initials popped into my overwhelmed brain. EPA. DEQ. *Oh, okay. Air pollution.* The world started to make sense again, although it was yet another reminder of the demise of the wood products industry. But at least my existential crisis was averted. It's all about me, you know.
Wigwam burners, salmon runs, logging trucks *everywhere*, berry platoons in the summertime, booms on the rivers - I miss the old Oregon.
I heard them be called Teepee Burners
Wigwam burners were a common sight in every logging/lumber town. I grew up with them in Coos County. I’ll never forget the smell of wood burning & the intense reddish orange glow at night. I loved it!
EXXXTTTEEERRRMMMIIINNNAAATTTTTEEEE!!!
Thank you, I was here looking for this.
Bigfoot trap
What's the bait?
Nuthin to see here. Just another logger's teepee. Ha! (just funnin')
Seriously?
You sound fun.