In later years, incinerators were installed at Balad, but many other bases in Iraq and Afghanistan still use the pits without incinerators to burn garbage.

CNN: Congressmen want more info on 'burn pit' claims

The technology vaporizes (but doesn't burn) garbage with arcs of electrical energy that heat matter inside their beam to 25, 000 degrees.

WSJ: Grappling With a Garbage Glut