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I was at a party recently and they were burning pallet timber in a chimenea. It was a pale timber... and I thought that type would always be treated when used for pallets. That said, it wasn't green like a treated pine post, it was quite yellowish. Anyway, I kept my distance from the smoke.

So my question is whether ALL non-hardwood used for pallets would be treated, and is it toxic when burnt?

Cheers,
Steve

It would depend on what the pallet was carrying, in the past everything was on pallets and the majority needed to be fumigated when arriving in Aus. Now they use shipping containers and most of the pallets are domestically used, I collect pallets from a couple of places as they throw them out now. They are mostly pine and use them for building as have been told they are not treated, just green pine when made and don't last long. I wouldn't burn them though.

I'm not real sure about ALL pallets, but you need to be very careful if you are burning treated pine. The stuff that makes it green is known as CCA which is a mixture of copper, chrome and arsenic. The fumes that it gives off are supposed to be 'not conducive to good health'. I have burnt many different types of pallet wood over the years and have had no ill effects, but I like the hardwood ones. I don't burn pine as it always makes too much smoke.

I regularly burn broken pallets in a fire drum in the back yard, I did on Friday night and again yesterday.
We have quite a few at work and they generally burn well.
I would NEVER cook over a pallet fire.
I would NEVER burn pallets in an semi-enclosed area such as a veranda, lots of breeze and open air only.
Two issues come to mind....
Some, not all pallets are treated/fumigated when the enter Australia in shipments.
Some, not all pallets may have had some substances leak/spill on them.

There is a system of markings used on most pallets, if you intend burning them regularly it would be a good idea to have a look here. 1001 Pallets, this is a great site.

https://www.1001pallets.com/pallet-safety/

I wouldn't burn pallets or the pine skids you are talking about. I have been in warehousing and transport most of the last 35 years and you see what is spilled on them and of course those that have been fumigated, you never know what fumes are being liberated in the burning

Cheers, Alan

I just noted a line from the link I posted above......

"For your own safety (and your family’s), and for the sake of our planet, never burn pallet wood or treated lumber in your fireplace (or even in outdoors)"

Lance wrote: https://www.1001pallets.com/pallet-safety/

Great link thanks Lance. [emoji106]

Cheers,
Steve