Fuel Storage

Long term survival during a "impact winter" will require the generation of heat within the Stage 2 Above Ground Shelters for a continuous period around 3 years. Much of the potential fuel will be burned up during the firestorms that occur as a result of a comet impact. It will be necessary to store significant quantities of fuel for Stage 2. The two types of fuel, which are well suited for storage, are wood and coal. There are very few coal burning stoves that exist in this country today. But that is not the case for wood burning stoves. Approximately 1.8 million families in the United States heat their homes with firewood.⁵⁰ Therefore this plan will focus solely on the storage of wood.

The amount of wood required is a function of the efficiency of the wood burning stove, the outside temperature, the quantity of stoves, the thermal insulation of the Stage 2 shelter, and the length of the "impact winter". I will recommend that approximately 200 ricks of hardwood be stored. (A rick is a measure of firewood arranged in a pile 8 feet wide, 4 feet high and 2 feet deep.) As Stage 2 draws to a close and the sun begins to peak through, I believe that it will uncover a landscape of broken trees blown down by the impact blast, severely charred due to the firestorms, and then frozen during the "impact winter". I believe that some of this timber will still be usable and can be cut up and used for firewood.

The wood to be stored for this purpose should primarily consist of hardwoods. The wood should be timbered and logged from nearby areas. Because a logging crew may not be available, probably the best approach will be to cut down trees and cut them up for the size of the wood burning stove, load them onto pickup trucks or larger vehicles if available and truck them back to the shelter complex. Four rectangles (each 12 feet by 72 feet) should be staked off in the shelter complex for wood storage. A bed of gravel four inches thick should be spread over this area. Firewood should be stacked to a height of four feet. Each wood pile should be covered with 6-mil black plastic. An earth mound should cover the wood pile. The top of the mound should have a minimum of 2 feet of earth.

If time permits, I recommend 50% of the wood be split prior to storage. This is due to the fact that splitting wood in pitch-blackness when the temperature is 70 degrees below zero is very difficult and hazardous.

Generally, I would say leave the cutting of firewood to those who have experience. But in this circumstance, there may be a shortage of personnel experienced in the art. I have included a tutorial on cutting firewood to aid the novice in this required task.

Liquid fuels (such as gasoline) and oils should be stored away from the rest of the shelter complex. Gasoline cans can be used to store gasoline & diesel fuel. Treat the fuel with a stabilizer additive prior to storage. Dig a long trench approximately 3 feet deep. Fill the bottom of the trench with 3 inches of sand. Place gasoline cans in a row approximately one foot apart. Fill the trench with sand. Cover the trench with a mound of 2 feet of gravel.

If liquid propane tanks are near the shelter complex, these may provide fuel for cooking during the dark period. Fill these tanks, close off and disconnect the lines. Cover the tanks with a mound of dirt 3 feet thick. Remove the regulator mounted on the side of the house and place it in storage as a critical item.

If wood is not a viable option, a fallback position might be to use coal. A simple coal oven could be constructed out of bricks, mortar, and a slab of metal (i.e. metal door used in Stage 1 Shelter). This coal oven would not be efficient, but it could provide some heat and also a cooking surface.

I have notice that many time when I cut a tree down that small saplings tend to spring up around the stump within a few months. In that light, I recommend that as the timber is cut down and removed, that a small work crew be organized to cover many of the stumps and small saplings with about 1 foot of earth to protect it from the coming firestorm. It is very important to restore our forest after a comet collision. Wood is one of the few renewable fuels and is very important in shelter construction.

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