Beehive burner facts for kids
A teepee burner (also known as a wigwam burner in the United States or a beehive burner in Canada) is a large, cone-shaped metal structure. These burners are usually between 30 and 60 feet tall, which is like a 3 to 6-story building! They get their names because they look a lot like beehives, teepees, or wigwams.
Sometimes, you might see a sawdust burner, which is shaped like a cylinder instead of a cone. All these burners have an opening at the very top. This opening is covered with a metal grill or mesh. This cover helps stop sparks and glowing bits of wood from flying out into the air.
Sawdust and other small pieces of wood are brought to an opening near the top of the cone. They usually arrive on a conveyor belt or through a special screw-like machine called an Archimedes' screw. From there, the wood scraps fall down into the fire burning in the middle of the structure.
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What Are Teepee Burners Used For?
Teepee or beehive burners were used to get rid of waste wood. This wood came from places like logging yards, where trees are cut down, and from sawmills, where logs are turned into lumber. Instead of letting the wood pile up, it was burned in these large structures.
Why Are Teepee Burners a Problem?
When these burners burn wood, they create a lot of smoke and ash. This smoke and ash goes straight into the air without any cleaning or filtering. This causes a lot of air pollution and makes the air quality poor. Because of this, teepee burners are seen as a big source of pollution. Most places have stopped using them.
When Did They Stop Being Used?
Teepee burners mostly stopped being used in the Northwestern United States in the early 1970s. They are now not allowed to operate in places like Oregon and southwestern Washington State.
Today, instead of burning the wood waste, it is used to make other useful forest products. For example, wood scraps can be turned into pellet fuel for heating, particle board for furniture, or mulch for gardens. There are still a few beehive burners left in Western Canada, but they are becoming very rare.
Gallery
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Wigwam burner in Halfway, Oregon
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Wigwam burner in Drain, Oregon
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Wigwam burner near Swisshome, Oregon
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Wigwam burner near Mapleton, Oregon
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Wigwam burner at a Louisiana-Pacific lumber plant in Post Falls, Idaho (May 1973)
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