--- title: "5 of the worst things to put in a burn pit" description: "For years, troops have burned their unwanted trash in large burn pits, set ablaze with diesel fuel. Here are a few things you shouldn't burn." date: "2018-04-19" modified: "2021-04-20" authors: - name: "Tim Kirkpatrick" link: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/authors/tkirkpatrick.md" url: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/popular/worst-things-to-put-in-a-burn-pit/" categories: - "Afghanistan War" - "History" - "War History" --- # 5 of the worst things to put in a burn pit ![]() If you've ever deployed to the Middle East, then you've probably experienced a few explosions here and there, heard a firefight once or twice, and smelled some pretty nasty sh\*t burning nearby. --- Well, that burning sh\*t is either the bad guys torching tires as a signal to warn others that allied forces are in the area, or it's the smell of a burn pit coming from a military base. For years, troops serving on the frontlines have burned their unwanted trash, either in barrels or in large burn pits, set ablaze with diesel fuel. ![]() Since burn pits are the primary avenue through which troops discard their waste products, plenty of items get thrown into the pits that shouldn't be near an open flame — like the following. ## 1. Unspent rounds It's common for troops to experience a misfire when discharging their weapons for various reasons. After they clear the chamber, they either let the unspent round fall to the ground or, sometimes, they get tossed into a burn pit. That's a bad idea. Bullet projection is based on igniting the gunpowder inside the shell as a propellant. No one wants to get shot by a burn pit. Just because the primer was struck and nothing happened doesn't mean the round is dead — it's still alive. Sort of like a zombie. ## 2. Human remains This is just nasty. Who wants to smell a bad guy's leg roasting over an open flame in the burn pit? On second thought, please don't answer that. ## 3. Batteries Various types of batteries will explode if exposed to intense heat. No troop wants to get hit with shrapnel during a firefight, let alone get blasted by battery fragments while inside the wire. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPHhB0uIxR0 ([Mr. Thinker]() | YouTube) ## 4. Miscut detonation cord Occasionally, small amounts of det cord get improperly cut, resulting in some unwanted wire that gets tossed away. *No bueno*. If certain det cords come in contact with an accelerant, the heat from the fire can cause an explosion. Being too close to that blast can result in injury — and no one wants that. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wVmWtCGyEYs ([MyXplosionTV]() | YouTube) ### Also Read: [4 of the worst things about getting promoted]() ## 5. Unexploded ordnance This is pretty obvious, right? It's amazing what gets thrown into a burn pit. ## Author Tim Kirkpatrick entered the Navy in 2007 as a Hospital Corpsman and deployed to Sangin, Afghanistan with 3rd Battalion 5th Marines in the fall of 2010. Tim now has degrees in both Film Production and Screenwriting. tim.kirkpatrick@wearethemighty.com ## More - [Why it’s important for vets to be on the Burn Pit Registry]() - [Why the Supreme Court’s ruling on burn pits will have catastrophic effects]() - [Rosie and Le Roy Torres’ war to help Burn Pit Veterans]() - [11 incredible videos of weapons firing in slow motion]() - [5 things service members hate on that are actually useful]() - [The 5 best ways US troops can blow down enemy doors]() - [How to use bow-drill to start a lifesaving fire]() - [5 things we wish we had while we were deployed]()