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| Above, the old teepee burner in Thoreau, New Mexico last year. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
A landmark in Thoreau, New Mexico has been demolished. During the past two trips into Thoreau, I noticed it was gone. At first, I thought I passed it. But I took a careful look last week and it was, in fact, torn down.
It was an old teepee burner that stood a little west of town and to the south of Interstate 40.
What's a beehive burner?
From Wikipedia:
A wood waste burner, known as a teepee burner or wigwam burner in the United States and a beehive burner in Canada, is a free-standing conical steel structure usually ranging from 30 to 60 feet in height. They are named for their resemblance to beehives, teepees or wigwams. 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, 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 sawmills 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 and have been phased out in most areas. There are a few beehive burners remaining in Western Canada.
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