How To Make A Burn Barrel - Burn Safe With Less Smoke

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A burn barrel can be a practical tool—especially in rural areas where other disposal options are limited. But before you grab a match, it’s important to understand how to build and use a burn barrel properly. You also need to know whether it’s even allowed where you live.

In this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about burn barrels, from what they are and how to make one, to legal considerations, safety tips, and what you can (and shouldn’t) toss in the fire.

Table of Contents

• What is a burn barrel?
  • Burn Barrel Legality: What You Need to Know
  • Pros and Cons of Using a Burn Barrel
• How to Make a DIY Burn Barrel
  • Materials needed for a burn barrel:
  • Where to Locate a Burn Barrel
  • Step-by-Step Instructions
  • Burn Barrel Covers
• What can I burn in a burn barrel?
  • DON’T BURN:
  • DO BURN:
  • Recycle and Compost
• How do I use a burn barrel?
  • What do I do with the ashes and unburned contents in the barrel?
  • Burn Barrel Safety and Other Considerations
  • If You’re Going to Burn, Burn Safely
• Buy a Burn Barrel
  • More Frugal Tips

What is a burn barrel?

A burn barrel is a DIY incinerator made from a repurposed steel drum. It’s designed to contain and manage small-scale open burning. This allows you to safely dispose of dry organic material and paper waste in one controlled area. Think of it as a rugged homestead solution for burning responsibly—without creating a fire hazard.

Burn barrels are especially common in rural communities, where hauling debris to a landfill isn’t always practical. Most are simple: a 55-gallon metal drum with air holes, a stand to raise it off the ground, and a mesh screen to prevent flying embers.

Burn Barrel Legality: What You Need to Know

Before you make or light up a burn barrel, check the rules in your area. Open burning is heavily regulated in many places due to concerns about wildfires and air pollution.

• Local laws vary widely—some rural areas allow burn barrels year-round, while others ban them entirely.
• Your town or county website often has burn guidelines or seasonal fire bans.
• Contact your local fire department or Department of Natural Resources (DNR) if you’re unsure. They’ll let you know if a burn permit is required.

Ignoring these rules could land you with a fine—or worse, cause a dangerous wildfire.

Pros and Cons of Using a Burn Barrel

Pros:

• Reduces the volume of organic waste
• Useful in emergencies or for off-grid living
• Saves time compared to hauling trash
• Inexpensive to make

Cons:

• Can be illegal depending on local laws
• Produces smoke and particulates
• Risk of fire if not used safely
• Doesn’t handle all types of waste

Burn barrels are best used for dry, natural materials—not garbage with chemicals and plastics.

How to Make a DIY Burn Barrel

You should be able to assemble a burn barrel in an afternoon or evening. It’s not complicated, but there are a few steps you want to take to get a clean burn and help your barrel last.

Materials needed for a burn barrel:

• 55 gallon, open head (open on one end) steel drum (unlined, not plastic)
• Handgun or Drill with 1/2″ drill bit for making air holes
• 2 concrete blocks
• Hammer and punch (or angle grinder if cutting a door)
• Expanded metal mesh or steel grate or heavy fencing section to cover barrel opening
• Piece of sheet metal to cover barrel opening when not in use
• Optional: heat resistant paint, ash door

Where to Locate a Burn Barrel

Choose a clear spot, at least 25 feet from buildings, trees, or flammable materials. Locate the barrel downwind from the prevailing wind by your home. Some locals dig up the sod under their barrels and fill in with sand. This is nice, but not necessary.

Step-by-Step Instructions

You need holes for drainage and improved air flow. How you put holes in the drum is up to you. Some people use a drill, others use a handgun. Don’t drill too many or your barrel will rust out faster.

1. Drill four 1/2 inch holes in the BOTTOM of the drum to allow any rainwater to run out.
2. Drill approximately 20 holes in the sides of the drum, at varying heights. These holes allow air to enter during the burning process.
3. Create a fire cover using an old grill top or fencing. Bend it so it fits on loosely, but keeps embers in the barrel.
4. Cut a piece of steel siding or roofing as a “rain cover”. Put hooks or a tie on it if you have strong winds.
5. Once the holes are in place, set the barrel, open end up, onto some concrete blocks. Make sure the edges of the barrel are on the blocks but there is an airspace directly under the barrel. This increases airflow and helps with drainage.

Optional:

• Painting the exterior of the barrel with heat resistant paint may extend the life of the barrel.
• For frequent use, consider cutting a small cleanout door near the bottom to remove ash.

Burn Barrel Covers

When the barrel is in use, the opening should be covered by a burn cover. A burn cover is a metal grate, fencing or hardware cloth that will trap burning materials in the barrel. This limits the risk of embers escaping the barrel.

When not in use, cover the barrel with the sheet metal rain cover. A cover keeps the contents dry and make for an easier burn, if you have trash waiting to burn. It will also keep the barrel from rusting as quickly.

What can I burn in a burn barrel?

Households produce trash. It’s a fact of life. The efficiency of how well your barrel will operate begins in your kitchen.

DON’T BURN:

• Recyclables
• Food scraps (compost or feed to chickens)
• Other non-combustible items, like light bulbs
• Household hazardous waste, such as paint and chemicals. Contact your local municipality for proper disposal options.
• Don’t burn furniture or any large items, such as bags from silage. This is strictly for small amounts of easily burnable trash.

DO BURN:

• Paper and cardboard not suited for recycling (waxy or coated with food waste)
• Small untreated wood scraps (if you don’t have a wood stove)
• Non-recyclable plastic (I’m talking the occasional small container, not large volume waste.)
• Food wrappers
• Dry leaves or twigs (composting is better with these)

Recycle and Compost

Separate out any recyclables and use your local recycle centers. #1 and #2 plastics are recyclable in most areas. Many retailers accept plastic grocery bags for recycling. #5 containers (such as yogurt cups, sour cream containers, lip balm containers and others) are difficult to recycle.

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Separate out your food scraps and feed them to your animals or throw them in your composting bin. (EVERYONE should have one!) The EPA estimates that roughly 21.6% of municipal solid waste is food scraps, and 12.1% is yard trimmings. That’s over 30% of waste.

Throw other items into the trashcan as usual. When your burn bag is full, take it out to the burn barrel!

How do I use a burn barrel?

This is where a lot of folks screw up. The results of which lead to smoky, stinky operation of burn barrels that irritate neighbors and are just plain nasty.

Place your bag of trash into the burn barrel. Burn your trash ONE bag at a time!!!! If you fill your burn barrel with too much trash, it will not burn completely and will smolder instead of burn.

Start the burn by lighting up some dry paper. If you wipe out greasy pans with newspaper or paper towels before washing, those make good fire starters, too. If you can get a charcoal grill or campfire started, you should be able to start a trash fire. If you need fire starting tips, visit Camp Fire Dude.

If you have more then one bag of trash, you can either:

• Light the first one and wait for it to burn down then insert the next bag or
• As most locals do, have another barrel with a rain cover. Insert the second bag into the second barrel and cover to burn at a later time.

Note: Common Sense Home and CJ Harrington assume no liability for burn barrel use. Please be careful.

What do I do with the ashes and unburned contents in the barrel?

After using your barrel for awhile, you will have a build up of ash and small un-burned/un-burnable items in your barrel. What do you do with it?

Locals will wait until the barrel is about ½ full of ash. Make sure the barrel and contents are completely cool. Empty the burn barrel into a large, heavy-duty trash bag and take it to the local dump. If you cut a clean out door, you may want to clean more frequently.

Seems silly to take the “leftovers” from a burn barrel to the dump? Not really. When you consider the money saved by burning many bags of trash, or the space you are saving in a landfill, it makes sense. Also the ash may contain metals and other chemicals you don’t want in your compost or yard.

Burn Barrel Safety and Other Considerations

For safety, don’t burn on windy days. Place your trash in your barrel and put the rain cover on and wait for a calm day.

Watch your weather. If it’s hot and dry, there might be a fire ban in effect. Take your trash to the dump until they lift the ban.

Never leave a fire unattended. Have water or a fire extinguisher nearby. Use dry materials only. Wet or green materials smolder and smoke.

Make ABSOLUTELY SURE there are NO aerosol cans in your trash! They WILL explode in your barrel! If your barrel has too many holes in it or is badly rusted, this could cause the barrel to fail, sending flaming trash everywhere!

Be considerate of your neighbors! Don’t burn your trash during the evening, when people are eating dinner or enjoying sitting out on their deck. In this case, try to burn your trash during the day when the neighbors are at work.

Some locals will come together and arrange a time to burn. That way, no one is hanging clothes out on the line or having a party in the yard when the neighbor lights up his burn barrel.

If You’re Going to Burn, Burn Safely

More and more people are returning to the traditions they grew up with and going back to using burn barrels. Look in backyards, behind garages…. you will still see them in use. If you choose use a burn barrel, do it the right way, stay safe and keep it neat.

Buy a Burn Barrel

For those that are not inclined to make their own, there are an assortment available for purchase. Some include:

• Behrens has a 20 gallon metal trash can burn barrel. It has handles and a built in chimney, made for light duty burning.
• Burn Right has an Extra Large 100% Stainless Steel Hi-Temp Burn Barrel. High capacity and made in the USA.
• DR Burncages fold flat for storage and are high capacity.

More Frugal Tips

A little elbow grease and ingenuity goes a long way to keeping costs down and managing daily needs.

• 25 Cheap Ways to Keep Your House Warm in Winter
• 50 Ways to Become More Self-Reliant
• How to Reduce Your Electric Bill (Small Changes Add Up)
• 23 Common Sense Ways to Stretch Your Food Budget
• 12 Best Tips for Keeping Your House Cool without AC

This post was written by Laurie Neverman, in cooperation with a friend, CJ Harrington, who homesteads in northern Wisconsin. Laurie and her husband, August, homestead on 35 acres in northeast Wisconsin.

Originally posted in 2012, last updated in 2025.

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