How to Burn Paper Safely

Choosing an Outdoor Burn Site

Check local laws and HOA guidelines before burning paper. Depending on where you live, it may be illegal to burn even a small amount of paper outdoors. Additionally, your home owner’s association (HOA) may prohibit burning paper, even if it’s technically legal. Look online to find the contact information for your county government, and call or email to find out if you can legally burn paper. Contact a representative of your HOA’s board of directors to find out if the organization prohibits burning paper.

Use a stone or metal fire pit to safely burn the papers. A fire pit is one of the safest spots to have a fire. Stone fire pits are typically built into a patch of dry ground, while metal or brick fire pits are elevated structures that keep the fire 1–2 feet (0.30–0.61 m) off of the ground. Fire pits will contain the blazing papers and allow you to have a hot fire without endangering the surrounding trees or grasses. If you don’t have a fire pit, you can purchase a metal or brick one from a nearby home-improvement store. Elevated fire pits have an additional advantage: since they’re elevated up off of the ground, it’s easier for air to circulate beneath the fire. This allows for better ventilation and allows the paper to burn well.

Dig a hole in your yard to prevent the blaze from spreading. If you don’t have access to a fire pit, the next best option is a hole. Use a shovel to dig at least 6–8 inches (15–20 cm) into the ground. Since soil isn’t flammable, digging a hole will give you a safe space to burn paper without the risk of the flames spreading. Once you’ve burned the papers and disposed of the trash, fill the hole back in with the shovel. Also use a shovel or your hands to clear grass, twigs, and any other flammable material away from the hole. Clear about 2 feet (0.61 m) on all sides.

Purchase a burn cage to burn papers if you’re concerned about safety. If you have some spare cash and want to make sure that the fire you’re using to burn papers won’t spread, try using a burn cage. Burn cages are ventilated steel boxes roughly 3 feet (0.91 m) high that can be used to burn a variety of materials. If you’re planning to burn paper regularly, use a burn cage. Look for burn cages at a local hardware or home-improvement store. They typically cost between $150–400 USD.

Build a bonfire to burn the paper if you need to burn large amounts. If you need to burn up several reams worth of papers, a large bonfire may be your best bet. The intense heat of a large bonfire will burn papers more quickly than a burn barrel or pit fire would. Build the fire at least 10 feet (3.0 m) way from any nearby trees or grasses to make sure the fire doesn’t spread. Stay next to the fire until it’s fully extinguished. As a safety precaution, contact the local fire department before you start your bonfire. Let them know the day and time when you’ll start the fire. That way, if it gets out of hand, they’ll have the resources to help you put out the fire.

Burn papers in a BBQ grill if you only have a handful. If you don’t have many papers to burn, you don’t need to go to the trouble of building a large fire in a pit or a hole (or a bonfire). If you have a BBQ grill, that will provide all the heat you need. Layer charcoal in the bottom of the grill, and light it with a small amount of lighter fluid. This method is ideal if you have fewer than 20 sheets of paper to burn. If it’s removable, take the metal grilling surface out of the grill. Just burn the papers directly on the hot charcoal.

Managing Outdoor Fires

Choose a humid, wind-free day to burn papers outside. If you burn papers on a windy day, embers could blow off of the burning sheets and into surrounding trees or grasses. Check out the weather forecast and plan to burn papers outdoors on a day with low wind. It’s also wise to burn papers on a humid day so that, even if a few embers do blow away, they’re unlikely to start a fire. It’s always a good idea to check the local fire danger before burning papers outdoors.

Set a fire extinguisher within 5 feet (1.5 m) of the fire location. Even if you’re only planning to burn a handful of papers, you need to have a fire extinguisher within reach. Fires can quickly grow out of control, so it’s important to have an extinguisher nearby to put the fire out. If you don’t have a fire extinguisher, purchase one at a local hardware store or home-improvement store.

Clear the area of other flammable materials. Regardless of where you’re planning to burn the paper, it’s important that you keep the fire from spreading. To that end, move any flammable objects at least 10 feet (3.0 m) away from the fire. This include wooden pallets, garbage cans, piles of firewood, cans of oil or gasoline, and anything else that could catch fire. If you’re concerned about the fire spreading, try pouring a perimeter of sand around the area where you’ll burn the paper.

Start a small wood fire before you begin burning the paper. Paper burns out quickly, so you’ll need a few logs to be burning before you add the paper to the fire. Lay down a base of tinder such as pine needles or shredded newspaper. Layer small twigs over the tinder. Finally, place 3-4 medium-sized logs. Lean the logs against one another so they don’t lay flat on the kindling and prevent it from catching fire. Then, start the tinder burning with a lighter or matches. If starting the fire is difficult, you can also squirt a small amount of lighter fluid onto the base of the fire.

Feed the sheets of paper into the fire 1 or 2 at a time. If you drop a whole stack of papers into the fire at once, it will likely extinguish the flames. Avoid this by putting papers into the blaze gradually. After the first few papers have caught fire, add additional sheets gradually. Wait until the pieces of paper have caught fire and are burning steadily before adding any new sheets to the blaze. If the fire is on the verge of going out, try placing 3–4 small pieces of kindling into the fire to keep it going.

Stay nearby and keep an eye on the fire as the papers burn. Once you’ve lit the papers, don’t just walk away and leave the fire. A gust of wind could blow embers into the grass, an animal could run into the fire, or a child could come by and try to grab flaming papers. Stay within 5 feet (1.5 m) of the fire as long as it’s burning to prevent any accidents. If you need to go indoors (e.g., to use the restroom) ask another adult to watch the fire.

Dispose of the ashes once the fire has burned itself out. Unless you burned the papers over a bathtub, you’ll be left with a pile of ashes once the fire is out. Use a stick to poke around in the fire pit and make sure there aren’t any glowing embers left. Then, don’t just leave the ashes in your fire pit or burn barrel. Instead, sweep them up using a dustpan and broom. Pour the burned ashes into a trash can or a compost bin. Unless it’s an emergency, avoid dousing the fire with a bucket of water. This will turn to ashes into a goo which will be impossible to dispose of.

Burning Papers Indoors

Fill an indoor bathtub halfway full with cold water. If you live in an urban area and don’t have access to a fire pit or other outdoor burning facility, you may be forced to burn papers inside. The best place to do so is over a bathtub. Plug the tub so it won’t drain, and fill it halfway full with water.You can also use a large container if you don't have a bathtub. Before burning the paper, make sure that any flammable materials are at least 3–4 feet (0.91–1.22 m) away from the tub. This includes towels, bathmats, and bottles of shampoo or conditioner.

Burn 4–5 sheets of paper over the bathtub at a time. You can use either a butane lighter or wooden matches for this. Ignite the papers 4–5 sheets at a time by lighting the edge or corner with a lit match. As the papers burn, hold them over the water. That way, if the flames get out of control, they’ll drop into the water and be extinguished. Burning papers in a tub works best if you only have a small stack to burn. Otherwise, the smoke could set off the fire alarm. Be careful not to burn your fingers as you hold the burning papers over the tub!

Dispose of any floating bits of paper that didn’t burn up. It’s unlikely that all of the paper will turn to ash. You’ll probably be left with a few small pieces of charred paper floating on top of the water in the tub. Scoop these up with your hands and drop them into a trash can rather than letting them get pulled down the tub’s drain. Make sure that none of the bits of paper are still hot when you throw them away.