Old wive's tail?!! Them cougar bars is nuthin' but trouble.
Lightning struck trees
- Thread starter Tripled's
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StihlyinEly
Addicted to ArboristSite
Nope, never heard that one. But I'll remember the lightning-struck tree forest fire line in case someone tries to pass off the rural legend. 
Roy Hobbs made a baseball bat out of a tree struck by lightening. Didn't anyone see The Natural starring Robert Redford?
Not only will it burn, a certain amount of it hits the ground already split into kindling.
It's amazing what people believe, but it's the human psychological trait of persistence at work. We will form a belief or opinion based on scant to no evidence, but once that belief is formed practically no evidence is sufficient to overturn it.
Jack
Reminds me of some people on this site....
Iska3
Addicted to ArboristSite
It might not make the best lumber but I'm sure it will burn. Maybe that's why we never left our beer cans hanging from the trees as path markers. Didn't want them cans to get hit by one of them strikes and take out a good tree. I had a barn hit by lighting and that sucker was up in smoke in no time. It really didn't burn until I opened up the door. That's when I learned about back flash. 
Well you guys laugh all you want,if you do happen to get it to burn it will electrocute your stove and all the smoke will give you a charge. If you try to clean out your stove to soon after burning you will probably get a bad shock. I have spent a lot of money on a special stove that turns this wood into household electricity. I actually have my stove hard wired to my meter box. While burning lightning struck wood it actually causes the meter to run backwards.
Just for safety,if you live within 50 miles of me I would suggest you bring it over for safe burning. If you want to travel further than that,go for it. It is always better to be safe then sorry. I will gladly accept all the lightning struck wood you have,,,,,,,,,,you know for safety. This is for your own good so bring it over ASAP. One last thing it has been known to blow ones tires out while driving down the road,(the wind creates static electricity)it is best to cut it to 16 inch lengths and split it before you load it,tarping also helps.(this helps retard the spark for a few days) I will take all you can bring,as a service to you. However in the near future because of a new energy tax,I will be forced to charge you $50.00 a cord for this disposal service.
Just for safety,if you live within 50 miles of me I would suggest you bring it over for safe burning. If you want to travel further than that,go for it. It is always better to be safe then sorry. I will gladly accept all the lightning struck wood you have,,,,,,,,,,you know for safety. This is for your own good so bring it over ASAP. One last thing it has been known to blow ones tires out while driving down the road,(the wind creates static electricity)it is best to cut it to 16 inch lengths and split it before you load it,tarping also helps.(this helps retard the spark for a few days) I will take all you can bring,as a service to you. However in the near future because of a new energy tax,I will be forced to charge you $50.00 a cord for this disposal service.
danrclem
Addicted to ArboristSite
Dang Wampum, you'd make a good politician. LOL
I heard it back when. It is a good story to keep circulating as it might keep someone from getting to a tree before I can
Harry K
Harry K
Austin1
Addicted to ArboristSite
Can't say about other tree's but I have seen tree's hit by lighting, Lodge pole pines and it blows the bark off them so they look like a barber shop pole. By the next summer they are dead and burn fineUnless it's dry out then they catch fire and can spread into a real forest fire kinda scary
Unless it's dry out then they catch fire and can spread into a real forest fire kinda scarybushinspector
ArboristSite Operative
Had a silver maple get hit and no problems with it burning. The interesting thing was the black streak in the center of the tree.
Probably an offshoot theory from the old government study on pregnacy and women. The study was to prove/disprove that a woman would not have "relations" once she was pregnant after a given time. Proved totally false except if one event occured....... marriage.
Mike Williams
Addicted to ArboristSite
I know this thread is old but just found it
My grandfather used to refuse any tree struck by lightening. For a long time I did as well, but last year burnt a lot of wood that was killed by lightening and it burnt fine.
Chris-PA
Where the Wild Things Are
When I was a teenager there was an oak that had been hit by lightning in the woods behind my parent's place. There was a strip blown out the side of it and there was toothpick-sized and larger shrapnel all through the woods in that direction. It would not have been a good place to be! I don't remember if we burned it or not.
Interesting twist. Always heard it as "old wives' tale" meaning it's your option to believe it.
ponyexpress976
nipple fritters
Not only will it burn, a certain amount of it hits the ground already split into kindling.
It's amazing what people believe, but it's the human psychological trait of persistence at work. We will form a belief or opinion based on scant to no evidence, but once that belief is formed practically no evidence is sufficient to overturn it.
Jack
You mean,like all the peole that believe putting pine in your firebox will cause the house to burn to the ground?
ponyexpress976
nipple fritters
This probably got started by someone trying to warn people about cutting damaged trees. Scare of the novice cutter from taking on a tree with internal damage? Just thinking out loud
Just last month on Friday the 13th we had a 60' to 70' Cedar get hit buy lighting and guess what the limbs and all the real small stuff burned up in the clean up pile just fine :msp_biggrin:
What we could get in our wood shed is getting ready for this coming winter :msp_biggrin:
What we could get in our wood shed is getting ready for this coming winter :msp_biggrin:
