How to Build a Burn Pan

Set the 3-foot square piece of steel on a flat surface on the ground. Then, line up the four 2-by-3 sections of steel along the edges of the 3-foot piece, with one section along each edge of the 3-foot piece.

Weld the edges of the steel sections to the edges of the square piece to form an open square box that is 2-feet deep and 3-feet wide and tall. Allow the welding to cool for several hours.

Drill two holes on the bottom of the left and right sides of the steel box to make holes for the wheels. Run the handheld drill at the slowest speed to avoid dulling the bit or overheating the drill.

Bolt the wheels into the outside of the box using the steel bolt, washer and nut and the holes you drilled in Step 3.

Line the inside of the burn pan with newspaper. Then, fill the pan about 2 inches full with wood chips, laundry lint, toilet paper and paper towels. These items represent materials that might burn during a typical house or office fire.

Instruct one of the trainees to get into position no closer than 6 feet from the burn pan, with a fire extinguisher. Then, light one of the fireplace matches and gently toss it into the burn pan. Quickly move back about 6 feet from the burn pan to direct the trainee in putting out the fire.