Firewood

Cutting down trees for firewood can be both rewarding and challenging. But what about that dead tree in your path? Can you process it into firewood? It’s dead, most likely not viable for any other use, so why not cut it up and burn it?

You can use dead trees for firewood, but you should take into consideration the type of tree as some make better firewood than others. Specifically, hardwood trees are often better than softwood species as firewood. Also consider the condition of the wood, the size of the tree, and whether it houses animals or insects.

You can certainly use dead trees for firewood, but there are a few things you should be on the lookout for. We’ve compiled a handy list of 9 things to check before using dead trees as firewood. Let’s get to it!

What You Should Consider Before Using A Dead Tree For Firewood

Processing already fallen trees for firewood is a great practice. In-fact, i’m doing the same thing right now with three dead pine trees that were in my yard! Of course, we’re using them strictly for outdoor firewood, but it’s really a great practice of reducing the need for cutting down alive trees.

If you are cutting and processing your own firewood, you have probably come across dead trees before and wondered if they would make a viable firewood option. Some already dead trees certainly will make for good firewood, but there are things to consider.

The tree may be a pine or other softwood, which does not make great firewood (hence why I’m using ours just for campfire wood.) It could be infested with insects or rotted inside. Maybe the tree has been felled for so long it is already rotting, in which case it’s best to let it be.

If you are looking for long-lasting firewood, check out our top 10 article on the slowest burning firewoods and how long they last!

Now, onto the good stuff. The following list details 9 things to check before using dead trees as firewood.

1. Check The Wood’s Moisture Content

Once a tree has died, it has already started drying out, so you may not have to season it as long. A dead tree will take about 2 to 3 years to dry out completely, but once it is dry, it starts to rot, which we will touch on momentarily. When a tree is cut and split, the wood dries out quicker because of the exposed surface area, compared to a whole uncut tree. 

Cutting a dead tree for firewood may save you time on seasoning, depending on how long the tree has been dead. The best way to check for the moisture content on potential firewood is with this Moisture Meter For Wood – Pin Type Digital Dampness Moisture Sensor. It has built-in calibration and can be used for more than just wood.

You want the moisture in your firewood to drop to around 20% at least before burning it. The lower it is, the better, and hotter your firewood will burn, but 20% moisture is a good all-around average to strive for. 

For trees that cure faster and have low moisture, take a look at our guide on the best firewoods to burn here.

2. Is The Tree A Hardwood Or Softwood?

Hardwood trees make for better firewood than softwood, with a few exceptions. Hardwood trees are trees that drop their leaves in the winter, also known as deciduous trees. They don’t have thick resinous pitch running through them and are denser, which makes for hotter, slower-burning, cleaner firewood. 

Softwood trees have channels that carry thick, sticky sap through the trees. When you cut pine trees and other softwoods, the thick sap can get on your chain saw or your hands, and have everything as sticky as gum at the bottom of your shoe.

Softwood trees are conifers, or evergreen trees. They include pine trees, spruce, and fir trees, among others. They have leaves similar to needles instead of broad, flat leaves, and though softwood trees will drop some of their needles, they don’t lose them all during the winter like hardwood trees. 

If the dead tree is an oak, hickory, maple, locust, or fruit tree like apple or cherry, then you potentially have a very good firewood laid out in front of you. Of the multitude of hardwoods, some to avoid because they do not burn well, or smoke and pop a lot are poplars, aspens, basswood, and willow trees. 

There’s a lot to consider, especially if you do not know all the different varieties of trees there are, but generally, hardwood trees are much better than softwoods.

You can view our full guide on the firewoods that produce the least amount of smoke here.

3. Is The Tree Still Standing Or Fallen?

Whether the tree is standing dead wood, or it has fallen over, there are a lot of things to think about here. A standing dead tree, depending on how long it’s been dead, may drop large branches when you cut it.

If the canopy shows signs of broken branches or there are a bunch of broken branches around the tree, for safety reasons, it’s best to leave the tree alone. Falling tree branches are nothing to play around with. 

Sometimes trees will uproot and fall. This happens when the canopy gets too heavy for the roots to support it, the ground gets exceptionally wet, or the tree gets blown over from terribly high winds. These trees are best left alone unless you are a professional at cutting trees. 

If you cut on an uprooted tree, it could suddenly shift and cause injury or the entire root ball could fall back into the hole. Either way, cutting on an uprooted tree is a practice best left to professional tree experts. 

Sometimes a tree will break and fall at the trunk. If the tree has fallen in this manner and has broken completely away, then this is a tree you could cut up for firewood. 

4. Is The Tree Rotten Or Moldy?

As we stated earlier, if the tree has been dead for some time, it will rot or become moldy. Either of these states of decay makes for poor firewood, and you should never burn moldy firewood.

Rotten wood loses its density and becomes soft and brittle. Soft, rotten wood will burn fast, but not produce much heat because most of the fuel is already gone. Rotten wood is also often pretty moist, which again makes for poor firewood.

If you try to burn wet firewood, the fire will often sputter and hiss as the flames work to remove the excess moisture. 

Wood covered with mold or mushrooms (fungus) should not be burned either. If moldy, fungus-covered wood is burned, you potentially release a lot of spores into the air, which is no good. Definitely don’t burn this wood indoors.

So, if you see a dead tree that appears to be rotten, moldy, or covered with fungus, leave it alone and let it rot as nature intends.

5. Is The Tree Hollow?

This may be difficult to detect if the tree is still standing, but if the tree is laying on the ground, you may be able to see if the tree has been hollowed out. A hollow tree could be caused by a insect infestation, some sort of trouble, or it may have happened because the tree was very old. 

A hollow tree means less wood you can bring home. Depending on how hollow the tree is, it may not even be worth cutting and splitting. Although, you may not even find out it is hollow if the tree is standing until after you cut it down. 

If the tree is hollow, you might try cutting some of the larger branches to find out if only the trunk was hollowed out. If this is the case, you may get a decent amount of firewood just from the branches. 

6. Is It Infested With Insects?

One of the worst scenarios, in this case, is being attacked by a swarm of bees when you cut on a tree. While this is highly unlikely to happen, some bees and insects will colonize dead trees, especially in hollowed-out cavities.

To find out for sure if the dead tree you want to use as firewood is hosting a hidden hive of stinging insects, pay attention to the tree. Look and listen for telltale signs. Can you hear the droning buzzing of thousands of little stingers?

Use your eyes as well. If you see insects flying in and out of a hole, quietly step away and find yourself another tree to use for firewood. 

7. Is The Dead Tree An Animal Habitat? 

In the woods, a hollowed-out tree cavity could be prime real estate for animals such as bats, certain birds, squirrels, raccoons, and porcupines to name just a few. Do not stick your hand, head, or any other body part into the hollow of a tree to find out. You might get a nasty surprise. 

You may not be able to see if an animal is living in a hollow cavity of a tree, but if you suspect something is making this tree home, do the right thing and let it continue to live there.

Birds and other animals use dead trees for nests, shelter, or perches. Many bird and animal species use the cavities in dead trees to roost, and shelter from the elements. 

8. Is The Size Of The Tree Worth Turning Into Firewood?

This one is pretty obvious, but it bears mentioning. A small dead tree may not be worth the time cutting it up for a small amount of firewood. If you are just looking for a lot of kindling, or you want some small logs for burning outside, then it might be worth your time. 

Only you can decide if the tree is big enough to spend the time cutting it up for firewood. A fully mature tree could net you a full cord of wood. A cord is considered 128 square feet of split firewood, or a section 4 feet wide, by 4 feet tall, by 8 feet long. 

9. Where Is The Dead Tree Located? 

This is a minor consideration, but we always try to be thorough. If the dead tree is in the woods where you have permission to cut them down for firewood, then cut away. However, if the tree is on your property, you should inspect the area for any obstacles. 

Maybe the tree is way in the back of your property and you have several acres of wooded property. Then, you do not have to worry as much about where the tree lands when you cut it down. 

Is the dead tree sitting right in the front yard? It may look like a simple thing to cut down a dead tree, but even with professionals, cutting a tree can sometimes be tricky. If any objects nearby could be damaged by a falling tree, then leave it to a professional. 

There are many reasons you may want to chop down a tree in your front yard. If you are contemplating it, give our article on the reasons why you should cut down the tree in front of your house a gander.

Do a quick search on online and you will find plenty of videos of amateurs cutting trees in their yards with disastrous results. If there is anything around the tree that could be damaged, like yours or a neighbor’s house, a fence, vehicles, or power lines, then get a professional to cut the tree down for you.

If you want to cut the rest of the tree for firewood after it is safely dropped, they should let you do so. Always err on the side of safety when cutting trees down. 

That’s A Wrap!

Cutting and splitting your own firewood can be a rewarding activity, especially if you are trying to save money on your heating bill. It may take a lot of work, but it can save you money in the long run, especially if you find a few good, dead trees to use as firewood. 

Dead trees can be significant sources of firewood if you check out a few things first. Look for animals that might nest inside them, if there are swarms of insects, and if the tree is in a safe place to be cut down. Plan your actions out before you cut on that dead tree. It may or may not be worth it. 

References:

The Effect of Firewood Removal on … Populations In a Northern Oak … (n.d.). Studylib.net. Retrieved March 29, 2022.

Harmon, M. E., Woodall, C. W., Fasth, B., Sexton, J., & Yatkov, M. (2011). Differences between standing and downed dead tree wood density reduction factors: A comparison across decay classes and tree species. Res. Pap. NRS-15. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station. 40 P., 15, 1–40.

Kahl, T., & Bauhus, J. (2014). An index of forest management intensity based on assessment of harvested tree volume, tree species composition and dead wood origin. Nature Conservation, 7, 15–27.

Hagerdon, Charles W., and Corey P. Wong. “Thinning in exchange for firewood.” Journal of Forestry 84.7 (1986): 44-46.

When you go camping, one of the most important and iconic features of camping is the campfire. It provides warmth, comfort, light, helps to keep the biting bugs away, and you can cook on it. When you are getting a campfire going, you want a big, bright, and hot flame, so here we have compiled a list of the 9 best woods that burn the brightest for your fire.

For the brightest flames, hottest fires, and longest-lasting burns, hardwoods are best. They burn bright, create less smoke and creosote, and produce hotter, brighter fires. Firewood from hickory, beech, pine, hawthorn, oak, birch, dogwood, maple, and fruit trees burn the brightest.

With so many options now for firewood, how can you tell which ones will bring on the brightest flames? Continue reading on as we have compiled a list of which wood will burn the brightest in your campfire or fireplace. 

Why Are Bright Flames Beneficial?

Since the dawn of time, people have had a fascination with fire. It keeps us warm, cooks our food, and in the early days, fire-protected our ancestors from predators, so it’s only natural that we feel comfortable around a fire. When we start a fire in the fireplace or at the campsite, we want bright flames, and here’s why.

Bright Flames Typically Mean Hotter Fires

A good bed of coals is great for cooking and toasting marshmallows, though tall flames can set your marshmallows on fire, turning them into knobs of flaming napalm. The bright flame is what we want when we are all gathered around the fire. They light up the campsite and provide warmth for everyone while keeping wild animals away. 

I’m sure we have all heard the term “white-hot,” while technically the blue-violet flame is the hottest, a white flame is still over a thousand degrees. When it comes to wood-burning fires in your fireplace or at the campsite, a brighter flame is hotter than the glowing bed or orange coals. 

You do not want a small, smoldering fire in your house or at the campsite. It does not provide the benefits of a clean, bright, efficient fire. 

The USDA addresses this in their article; Fuel Efficiency & Conservation–Firewood, that you should not allow your fire to smolder. A low, smoldering fire creates a lot of pollution because the low temperature doesn’t allow for proper combustion. You get more smoke and unburned wood being swept up the chimney and into the air. 

Brighter Firewood Is Cleaner

Brighter flames signify a cleaner fire. When the wood burns hot and clean and you can see the flames, it signifies a healthy fire. You have probably noticed when the firewood is too wet, or you do not have a good bed of coals for your fire, it usually smokes more. Thick smoke will chase away the bugs, but it will chase away people gathered around the fire as well. 

When burning in a fireplace, the last thing you want is a smoky fire. Smoke carries larger particulates, which can stick to the sides of your chimney. This means you have to service your chimney more often by having the deposits cleaned off. You also do not want smoke wafting through your house smelling the place up and leaving everything looking dingy.

Now, some of the firewoods below while they do burn clean, should not be burnt inside and should be used for outdoor firewood. We’ll cover that in the list below!  

9 Brightest Burning Firewoods

Without further ado, let’s get to the best and brightest burning firewoods!

1. Hickory Is The Brightest Burning Firewood

Topping the list of bright burning firewood is hickory. This firewood is among the best firewood you can find for all your wood burning needs. Hickory provides a lot of heat, slow burn, and a bright flame. 

Hickory is a very dense wood and may take some time to get burning, but once this hardwood has caught flame, the bright flames dancing around this wood cannot be beaten. You will get a long burn and a pleasant smoky aroma that might have you thinking about smoking some meats around this campfire instead of s’mores.

To add some more heat to the fire, hickory is also #1 on our list of the best overall firewoods to burn!

2. Beech Wood Burns Hot And Clean

Beech is another excellent choice for bright burning fires. This hardwood throws off bright yellow flames when it’s burned. It may not be as dense or long-lasting as hickory, but you probably will not notice the slight difference.

Beech firewood burns clean and also has a pleasant odor when burned. It rarely sparks and leaves a good bed of embers, so you might still have warm enough coals in the morning to start breakfast rather quickly. 

3. Fruit Woods Smell Fantastic When Burned

Fruit woods include favorites such as cherry, apple, or plum trees. When you cut these trees for firewood, they make great, bright flames you can watch burn for extended periods. Of the fruit woods used for firewood, apple wood is the king here. 

Apple wood smells great, burns hotter than most other fruit woods, and burns brightest among them all. Cherry wood is also a great smelling—probably the best smelling in my opinion—long-burning firewood, but it does not quite compare to apple wood’s heat and brightness. 

4. Pine: The Bright Burning Softwood

Pine is a softwood and comes with some cautions when you choose to burn this wood. First off, you should only use pine as kindling when burning it inside. Pine contains a lot of resinous sap, which can make it smoke quite a bit, and will cause creosote to build up quickly in a fireplace or wood-burning stove.

As a firewood, you should only burn pine outside. 

However, pine burns with a bright flame. The downsides are heavier smoke than most hardwoods, burning hot and fast, and plenty of sap pockets, which pop and send sparks everywhere. 

Pine is good in a pinch, and you can find pines almost everywhere. You will frequently find broken limbs lying around when you are out gathering wood and kindling for your campsite. 

5. Hawthorn Is An All-Around Great Choice

Hawthorn is great firewood for all-around purposes. The downside to hawthorn is it is not very prevalent, and it has menacing, 3” thorns. Although, it is a very bright burning, hot firewood! Maybe because it seems to be a tree from hell with all those thorns. 

Jokes aside, hawthorn firewood is a dense, hot burning, long-lasting, bright burning firewood, and it would make a great addition to any fireplace or campfire. If you have any of these trees on your property and are thinking of chopping them down, consider making them firewood. It would be a superb choice. 

6. Oak: The Middle Of The Road Firewood

Oak firewood is an amazing firewood for all the right reasons. Therefore, you will see oak time and again on nearly any firewood list. Oak firewood is dense, burns hot and clean, does not pop, has a neutral odor, and burns bright in any setting. Oak is also very prevalent nearly anywhere you live. 

You can find out where the specific species of oak trees in your area fall on our tiered list of the 10 best oak firewoods here.

If you weigh oak firewood solely for how bright it burns, it’s still in the middle of the pack. When burned, it produces solid, bright flames. You will not have to wear your sunglasses at night when you burn it, but it will still produce nice, pleasing, bright flames. 

7. Birch Bark Is A Great Fire Starter

Birch firewood is a decent choice for how bright it burns. Overall, as a firewood birch is a pretty good choice as it burns clean, burns pretty hot, and does not spit sparks often. It also has a pleasant smell when burned. 

The bark, if collected, is a natural tinder and firestarter because of the peeling, papery effect. Birch firewood is a good choice if used in a fireplace or wood-burning stove and certainly has a nice, bright flame when burned outdoors in your firepit or campfire. 

8. Dogwood Trees Make An Excellent Bright Fire

Yep, you read that right, dogwood makes a great, bright burning firewood. There are people out there who use it as firewood, but since dogwoods are mostly ornamental trees, most people, myself included, have never burned this tree as firewood. 

If you have dogwood trees and they have been destroyed by a terrible storm, or have reached the end of their life cycle, then it’s a brilliant choice to save for firewood. The wood is dense, and it burns hot, leaving you with a bright flame. The only reason it is not higher on the list is that dogwood firewood can be difficult to find. 

9. Maple Firewood Burns Bright

Maple comes in last because of all the previous firewoods on the list, its flame is still bright, but just not as great as the others. This does not mean maple firewood is subpar in any way; it is a wonderful firewood.  

Maple firewood is a fantastic choice for firewood. It is a dense, good-smelling firewood and works great in your fireplace, wood-burning stove, and outdoor fire. Some people, depending on the variety, say they smell maple syrup when they burn this wood.

This checks out since the sugar maple is where the mouth-watering syrup originates from. 

As far as bright flames jumping off your firewood, maple is not a great choice, but it is not an awful choice. If you have maple around your house or can find it for sale, go ahead and pick some up. It will not disappoint you.

To add some more heat to maple trees here, it comes in as the #2 slowest burning firewood on our top 10 list.

2 Tricks For A Brighter Fire

Even if you have firewood that isn’t blazing with eye-piercing, bright flames, you can still make the flames just a tad bit brighter with the way you burn them. If you throw your logs in the fire without caring how they land, you will get them to burn, but below, we have two ways to capitalize on fire dynamics to get brighter flames.

1. The Teepee

The shape of the teepee works best for outdoor fires, but the conical shape helps to increase the number of flames, thus giving you a brighter fire. The way to get it started is to ball up your fire starter in the middle, then stack small pieces of tinder around the tinder in a cone shape. Once the fire has taken off, continue to stack your firewood in this fashion when the flame gets low, to keep a bright fire burning. 

This shape increases the surface area of the wood, so there is more space for flames to take hold. More flames means a brighter fire, so even if you have firewood that does not burn as intensely, you can manipulate the fire to make it brighter. 

The only problem with the teepee method is you have to put a few logs in at a time to keep them standing on end, and it can fall over after the wood burns for a while. As long as you have a good fire ring, there is little danger of sparks and flying embers. 

2. The Log Cabin

The log cabin stacking method works for fireplaces as well as outdoors and is a little more stable than the teepee stack method. It starts with your fire starter or tinder inside, but you lay two logs flat on either side, then stack two more logs on the ends of the first pieces.

Those of you who used to play with Lincoln Logs as a kid know this method intimately. 

Keep alternating stacks until you have three or four stacks high. Laying the logs this way forces more airflow through the gaps in the firewood and helps to create a bright burning stack of firewood. When the flames die down, add two more logs and they will light up and quickly knock the darkness back again. 

3. Don’t Smother Your Fire

For a fire to keep burning, it needs three things; heat, fuel (firewood), and oxygen. If you stack your firewood too closely or too densely, then you restrict airflow and that can smother your fire, or even prevent it from really taking off. A smoldering fire you cannot get to catch on is no fun, as the smoke will have everyone choking and running off to do other things. 

When you start your fire, and when adding logs to an existing fire, keep airflow in mind. Leave plenty of space between the fresh pieces of wood you throw on there and the existing flames, and you will continue to have a bright burning, pleasing fire.

Here’s a Little Something For Added Campfire Fun

A fireplace or outdoor fire can be a great place for friends and family to gather, hang out, and have fun. Whether you have beverages in hand, are roasting weenies, or toasting marshmallows for s’mores, the warm ambiance of a fire cannot be beaten.

Unless, of course, you add in a little fun to your fire. Put one of these packets into your fire and watch the colors change before your eyes with these Magical Flames. Just toss the unopened packs into the fire and watch the colorful show they have in store for you!

This Fire Has Burned Out!

There we have it. The 9 best woods that burn the brightest for your fire burning needs. You cannot go wrong with oak, hickory is one of the hottest, and brightest burning hardwoods out there, and beech and fruit woods work wonderfully to burn off the encroaching darkness. 

Go out there, have fun outdoors or inside with a bright burning, warmth-giving fire. Just be responsible whenever you burn firewood.

References:

Ramos, M. A., de Medeiros, P. M., de Almeida, A. L. S., Feliciano, A. L. P., & de Albuquerque, U. P. (2008). Can wood quality justify local preferences for firewood in an area of caatinga (dryland) vegetation?. Biomass and Bioenergy, 32(6), 503-509.

Abbot, P., et al. “Defining firewood quality: A comparison of quantitative and rapid appraisal techniques to evaluate firewood species from a southern African savanna.” Biomass and Bioenergy 12.6 (1997): 429-437.

Collier, Kathy, and Larry W. Turner. “Obtaining, Seasoning & Burning Wood: Part One in a Series on Wood as a Fuel Source.” (1979).

Chen, Y., and T. C. Bond. “Light absorption by organic carbon from wood combustion.” Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics 10.4 (2010): 1773-1787.

When choosing and burning firewood there are multiple factors to include such as, where you are burning the wood, indoor, outdoor, in a fireplace, wood-burning stove, or campfire is it for looks and ambiance or heat. Which overall are the best firewoods to burn?

Dense woods like hickory, ash, and oak burn longer because there is more material or fuel per log. The time a fire will last correlates to the density of the wood because the denser it is, the longer it burns. Beech, cherry, apple, black locust, maple, hawthorn, and sycamore also burn exceptionally.

Once you have a good bed of coals in the fireplace, the orange, red, and yellow flames rolling over the logs, and a cold drink in your hand you do not want to get up to feed the fire. In this article, we will cover the 10 best firewoods to burn, and how long they last. All the information included here will assume you are burning your wood in a fireplace for either a secondary source of heat or the appeal and ambiance a warm, glowing fire creates.

Not All Firewood Is The Same

All wood will burn, but not all wood is a good choice for firewood. If you have the wrong firewood in your fireplace, you could get a lot of smoke, pops, and crackles while throwing dangerous sparks everywhere, or a buildup in your chimney, which can catch fire. 

If you start a fire using pine, spruce, or other softwoods, you might get a quick starting, brightly burning fire, but soon all the early energy burns off. Softwoods often sizzle, pop, and smoke as well, because of all the resin and thick sap in these varieties of trees.

Tossing a few sticky pine logs onto your campfire when it gets low can be fun with the pop, crackle, and showers of sparks it likes to display. They catch fire fast and burn quickly. It is a great way to get low-burning embers to catch quickly, but they are not a good choice for your indoor fireplace for all the above reasons. 

Hardwoods burn better than softwoods when placed in a fireplace or woodstove because they are denser, burn slower, and create a long-lasting bed of coals. Most will not shower you with scorching sparks or smoke as much either. However, this does not mean all hardwoods are great to burn in your fireplace.

Take poplar, for instance. It is still considered hardwood, but you burn it, it pops and crackles vigorously. It also emits a choking smoke, which could fill your house with dangerous carbon monoxide. So, while hardwoods are better, they are not all equal when it comes to burning them. 

Hardwoods Vs. Softwoods

All trees are technically hard wood. I can certainly attest to that fact… I think I still have a knot on my forehead from when I was a young boy. While climbing down a pine tree (too fast), I slipped, hit my noggin on a branch; I did not come up with the idea for a flux capacitor, but I saw stars. 

Wood from trees is broken down into two categories; hardwood and softwood. 

Hardwood trees are defined as having broad leaves, not needles, and usually bear fruit or nuts. Oak, hickory, cherry, birch, aspen, tulip and mulberry trees are all examples of hardwood trees. The wood from these trees is dense, usually has a smaller growth ring pattern, and is “hard” compared to those of the conifer family.

Hardwoods are often used for furniture, flooring, tools, boats, musical instruments, and charcoal. I love the smell and taste of hickory-smoked meat from the grill! 

Softwood trees are from the conifer family, are less dense, usually have needles instead of broad leaves, and have resin canals, which carry sap and pitch through the tree. Have you ever cut your own, or bought a Christmas tree? If so, you probably have had experience with the sticky, resinous sap that oozes from these trees. 

Softwood lumber is typically used in construction. Think of framing studs and the beams in your attic. These are usually a type of pine softwood. 

As we discussed earlier, softwood trees have resin canals, which is one reason softwoods do not make good firewood. When the resins burn, they can create a lot of smoke, and also leave creosote buildup in chimneys, which can cause chimney fires. Softwoods also burn quickly because they are not dense.

All firewood, whether you are using hardwood or softwood, will put off some creosote, which can stick to the sides of your chimney. However, softwoods create a lot when burned. If you use a wood-burning stove or fireplace in your house, have it checked and maintained regularly by a reputable chimney sweep company. 

Sometimes it might be feasible to use softwood kindling to start your fire. A few small pine twigs will light fast and burn hot, which is great for starting your hardwood fire, but afterward, only burn properly seasoned hardwood. 

Season Firewood Before You Use It

It’s not advisable to cut down an oak tree, split it, then throw it into your fireplace to burn. It will have too much moisture in the wood to burn efficiently if you can get it to catch fire. Firewood needs to be seasoned, or dried before it makes good firewood. 

You can season firewood by letting Mother Nature take care of it, or kiln drying, which takes less time, but is usually more expensive. Either way, the wood needs to be dried to a maximum of 20% moisture for it to be seasoned firewood.  

To make sure your wood is properly seasoned to 20% moisture content or less, you can use this inexpensive Wood Moisture Meter. It has four scanning modes for different materials, and it measures the current temperature along with the humidity of the material.

The EPA says in their article, Best Wood Burning Practices: Test your firewood before burning it. You can get the best burn from your wood at a moisture content of less than 20 percent. A moisture meter can make checking this a breeze.

10 Best Firewoods To Burn

If you ask ten different people what the best firewood to burn is, you might receive ten different answers. Some hardwoods can burn without seasoning, some may take 2 to 3 years to season, and others may be a beast to split or put off more heat than others. Any of these factors can make for a top firewood, but this list is simply about good, hard firewood, and how long it burns. 

It’s also quite difficult to give a close, approximate time of how long a single log of firewood will burn. It depends on how much airflow there is, how hot the fire burns, the size and thickness of the log, and so on.

So for the longevity of each type of wood, we will look at the average density of the wood. The more dense a hardwood is, theoretically the longer it should burn, so this list of the 10 best firewoods to burn goes in descending order of wood density.

The USDA talks about firewood density in their article, Fuel Efficiency & Conservation–Firewood. In this article, they back up the claim that dense woods are the best firewoods. They provide the most heat compared to a lighter, less dense wood. Dense woods such as hickory and oak rival the heat output of burning coal. 

With that out of the way, here’s our list of the 10 best firewoods to burn and how long they will burn.

If you’re interested you can read our full guide on the slowest burning firewoods here and bookmark it for after this article!

1. Hickory Burns The Longest

Hickory is the densest of our hardwood list, burns hotter than oak and maple, and burns the longest on this list. You can start a fire with hickory, get a nice bed of coals going, and let it burn through the night. In the morning, you could still have a warm bed of coals to start another roaring fire in only a few minutes.

Another fantastic aspect of burning hickory firewood is the pleasing, smoky aroma it puts off. It burns clean, so you do not have to worry so much about creosote buildup in your chimney, or have underlying concerns about harmful smoke inside your house.

It holds little moisture, so you do not have to season it for a long time. Hickory also tends to crackle pleasantly without sending out showers of sparks. It makes the fire more pleasing, but not as dangerous.

Overall hickory firewood is the longest burning firewood. It also has a delightful smell when burned and heats well. If you can find hickory firewood, you should get some for your next fire. 

2. Oak Wood Burns Almost As Long As Hickory

Oak firewood runs a close second to hickory and could be considered a tie for first place overall. It is very dense, creates a substantial amount of heat, all while burning steadily for a long time. Oak is also widespread around most of America, so you can find almost everywhere it.

Oak can take a year or possibly two to season well, but once it is ready for firewood, you would be hard-pressed to find a better all-around wood in terms of heat, long-lasting fire, and the small amount of smoke produced when burned.

More specifically when breaking down the two species of oak trees, white oak is better firewood than red oak because of it’s non-porous nature. White oak produces 29.1 BTU’s while red oak produces 24.6 BTU’s – leading white oak to burn hotter and last longer!

Seasoned oak firewood works great in your fireplace, wood stove, or fire pit. It burns well, and clean, and is a brilliant choice for roasting marshmallows and making s’mores! Since it is so prevalent, you will have no trouble finding this long-lasting, dependable firewood for all your needs. 

There are many varieties of oak wood, many of which are fantastic firewood options. For more information on the best choices, give our on article, 10 Best Oak Trees for Firewood Ranked, a read!

3. Beech Wood Burns Hot

Beech wood is hard to beat compared to other hardwoods in terms of the exceptional heat it gives off. It is great for wood-burning stoves, and when it is seasoned properly, most people report a nutty aroma when burning this wood. 

Even though beech wood is naturally dry, it still needs to be seasoned. Unfortunately for beech wood, it should be seasoned for at least a year, possibly two, for the absolute best burning results. Although, once it has been seasoned well, this wood dries out to an incredible 12% moisture content, compared to 20% most woods dry out to. 

This extremely low moisture content allows this wood to burn much hotter, and the longer you season it, the less smoke it puts out. It is not as dense as oak or hickory, and so will not burn as long as those two kinds of wood.

However, with the extra heat it puts out, beech firewood is still an excellent choice of firewood. You probably will not mind throwing an extra log on the fire for added comfort.

4. Cherry Wood Smells Fantastic When Burned

People love burning cherry hardwood in their fireplaces because of the pleasing aroma this wood puts off. It’s one of the best smelling woods around if you like the smell of a fireplace or campfire. 

It’s still a very dense wood and burns for a decent time, but it does not burn as hot as the previous mentions in this list. If you cut it yourself, it is easy to split, but if you purchase cherry wood, it will probably cost you a bit more than oak.

Seasoning cherry wood does not take nearly as long either. Potentially you could cut and split your cherry wood in early spring, then by late fall or winter, it should be ready to burn.

Cherry wood crackles and sparks a little more than your average wood, so if you burn it in your fireplace, make sure you have a screen in place, just in case

If it were up to me, and this is purely an opinion, I would mix my firewood if I was using cherry for firewood. I would burn something more economical and neutral smelling as a base for heat and coals like oak, then add a log or two of cherry wood occasionally for the smell. 

If the pleasant scent is what you are after, you can learn more about the scent mock cherry trees give off here.

5. Ash Burns For A Long While With Little Smoke

Next on the list is Ash. As far as density, this one lands on the upper middle of the stack and will still burn for a long time. However, there are many more pros to this wood, which makes it an excellent choice for your fireplace. 

Some people will say ash firewood is their favorite wood to use. It splits well, is still hardwood, and has a neutral odor. It seasons in about six months, so you can use it the same year it’s cut, and can even be burned green. I would only want to burn green wood of any kind outdoors, for extra precautions.

Ash does not produce much smoke at all because of its naturally low moisture content, does not produce many sparks or pops, and burns with a neutral aroma. Some say ash firewood works best in a wood-burning stove because of the heat it puts out, the efficient burn, and the lessened smoky odor; for those who do not love the smell of wood smoke. It is available mostly along the eastern side and north-central areas of the United States.

Ash is still a dense wood and will burn for a decent time. When you add in all the other pros for this wood, it still makes for an excellent heat source and a pleasing fireplace experience. 

6. Apple Wood Smells Devine When Burned

Apple wood is another wood that produces a sweet scent of smoky happiness when it is burned. Like cherry, when you burn apple hardwood, you have a built-in potpourri diffuser in your fireplace. Can you tell I like the smell of burning firewood?

Aside from the room freshening scent, apple wood is still a dense, slow-burning wood and creates a long-lasting bed of hot embers. It’s so dense it may have a hard time starting.

This is where some good, softwood kindling comes into play to help start the fire. Once the apple wood is burning, however, all you have to do is add a log or two when it burns down. 

Apple wood also burns very hot, a little hotter than oak, and it puts off very little smoke. It is great when burned as a main or additional heat source. The pleasing scent is also used to smoke meats; applewood smoked bacon anyone? 

Apple wood could be a tie with ash as far as density and burn time. Its average density comes in only a hair less than ash, so they should both burn about the same length of time. Apple burns hotter than ash, but if you do not want your house to smell like a smokehouse, then you will probably want to go with ash. 

7. Black Locust Firewood Is Long-Lasting

Black locust is a fast-growing tree and is invasive in some areas because of how quickly it can spring up. Even though it is a fast-growing tree, the wood is still very dense and burns hotter than most other hardwood varieties. 

This firewood does not produce much smoke when seasoned for a year, and has a neutral, to mild aroma. It puts off a moderate amount of sparks when burned, so you would benefit from using a screen when burning black locust in an open fireplace. 

One of the few downsides to dealing with black locust wood, is when you are splitting the wood yourself, you tend to get the long, sharp thorns of this tree species. You will need thick gloves when handling it yourself, but otherwise, black locust wood is an excellent, long-lasting, very dense firewood. 

8. Maple Firewood Seasons Fast

I know for me, when I think of maple, my mind goes instantly to maple syrup-drenched pancakes, not firewood. Nonetheless, maple wood is readily available all over and is an excellent source of firewood. It may not be as dense as others in this list, but maple wood provides good heat and also smells like maple syrup when burned. 

Maple as firewood is a wonderful choice for a few reasons. It seasons fast, you can cut it early in the season then burn it the same winter. It burns relatively hot and lasts a decently long time.

Maple wood does not produce much smoke and is almost spark-free as well.  

If you are heating your house with firewood, you may need to use a little more maple wood than you would for oak or beech wood. Although since you could burn it the same season, unlike oak, it might still be a good option. 

Maple is lower on the density scale, but is still a good choice for firewood, especially since these trees are fairly common, are easy to cut, split, and season, not to mention the burned wood fills your house with the smell of holiday baked goods. 

9. Hawthorn Is A Very Neutral Firewood

Hawthorn is a great, dense firewood, and it grows around the world. It has a few downsides, though, including rather large thorns, and the trees grow small compared to most other trees on this list. Also, hawthorn trees are twisty and full of knots, which makes this wood quite difficult to split. 

The benefits of burning this firewood make it a good choice for heating. Once this wood is split, it takes only minimal time to season; around six months. It burns very hot for a decent amount of time and leaves behind only a small amount of ash. 

Hawthorn emits little smoke and sparks and does not have much of a smell either. It’s another neutral-smelling wood. This way, your clothes will not smell like you have spent the weekend camping when you go to work. 

Of all the hardwood varieties out there, hawthorn is a decently dense hardwood that will give you plenty of burn time in your fireplace. 

10. Sycamore Firewood Is Smoky With A Short Life

Finally, we come to sycamore wood, a very dense hardwood with a few challenges. It is probably the shortest-lived hardwood on our list. Sycamore will start easily, but it flames out rather quickly compared to the others here. 

The sycamore tree is an abundant species found all over America, so you will not have a hard time finding this firewood. Once you find it though, it takes a long time to season. It takes at least two years to get enough moisture out of the wood for it to be a viable firewood choice. 

Because of the high moisture content of this wood, it can put off a higher amount of smoke than our other firewoods, and it sometimes throws off some showy sparks. 

Most people who use sycamore as firewood mix it with other, longer burning, lower moisture content woods. Sycamore will light easily, and burn fast, so mixed with hickory, beech, or ash you get a fast starting, hot burning, and long-lasting fire. 

The final opinion on sycamore is to use it if you have to and then mostly as a starter. Throw a log or two on your fire if it has burned down to embers to get a quick, intense set of flames, then add something higher on the list for a long, slow burn.

This Fire Has Burned Out

There’s not much out there you can compare to the crackle of a fire. Watching the colorful flames of yellow, red, and blue flicker around the logs while relaxing with friends and loved ones is hard to beat. So, when looking for firewood, you usually want something easy to light with a long burn time, so you can enjoy the ambiance of the open flame.

You do not want to have to get up and tend to the fire constantly. 

Now you have at least 10 good choices of hardwoods to choose from and know which ones will last the longest so you can enjoy the warmth longer. We hope this article has given you some insight and would love to hear from you. Drop us a comment or questions below.  

References

Robert Francis, Alexa Dufraisse, Firewood and timber collection and management strategies from early medieval sites in eastern England. Initial results from the anthraco-typological analysis of oak charcoal remains, Quaternary International, Volumes 593–594, 2021, Pages 320-331, ISSN 1040-6182.

Mani Ram Moktan “Social and Ecological Consequences of Commercial Harvesting of Oak for Firewood in Bhutan,” Mountain Research and Development, 34(2), 139-146, (1 May 2014)

Wassenberg, M., Chiu, HS., Guo, W. et al. Analysis of wood density profiles of tree stems: incorporating vertical variations to optimize wood sampling strategies for density and biomass estimations. Trees 29, 551–561 (2015).

Chafe, Zoë, et al. “Residential heating with wood and coal: health impacts and policy options in Europe and North America.” (2015).

When you start a fire, whether it’s in a fireplace, campfire, or for your wood-burning stove, the last thing you want is to have to add more wood constantly because it burns up too fast. A wood burning fire should be relaxing, long-lasting, and provide plenty of heat. So, which are the slowest burning firewoods and how long do they last?

Dense, properly seasoned hardwoods burn the slowest and longest because there is more wood packed into every square inch, so it takes longer for the fire to get through. Oak, maple, ash, hickory, cherry, apple, hornbeam, walnut, hawthorn, and Osage orange trees are the slowest burning firewoods.

There are tons of hardwoods to choose from out there depending on what exactly you want from your fire and where that fire is located. Today we are focusing on the slowest burning firewood, so get cozy and kick up your feet! Here is the list of the 10 slowest burning hardwoods and how long they last. 

Hardwood vs. Softwood For Firewood

When it comes to firewood and lumber, you have two basic choices: hardwood and softwood. Hardwoods come from most deciduous trees. These trees lose their leaves in the winter, have broader leaves instead of needles, and produce less sap or resin than softwood trees. 

Softwood trees are your conifers. They include cedars, pines, and most evergreen trees. They do not lose their leaves in the winter, but they drop some of their needle-like leaves each year. Softwood trees also produce thick resinous sap when cut or damaged. 

Why Does Hardwood Make Better Firewood?

Denser hardwoods such as oak and birch burn slower, produce less smoke, and provide better heat energy than softwoods of similar size.

Not all hardwoods are created equal when it comes to firewood. There are several types of hardwoods you should not burn in fireplaces or wood-burning stoves. Poplar, for example, is a poor firewood choice because it can produce a thick smoke with a bitter smell, and may pop many sparks when it burns. 

However, hardwood is much better than most softwoods for fireplaces and wood-burning stoves. Hardwoods, as their name suggests, are denser, and therefore burn longer, and hotter. 

Firewood cut and properly seasoned from quality hardwood trees produce less smoke and creosote buildup, burn longer and produce more heat than softwood does. It means you have to worry less about thick chimney buildup, and you do not have to spend your entire night throwing more logs onto the fire to keep it burning.

Softwood Firewood Uses

Although, this does not mean softwood cannot be firewood. Softwoods, especially when chopped into kindling, make great fire-starters. Softwoods catch quickly and burn hot for a short period, which is great for starting a hardwood fire.

The resins that flow through softwood help to burn quickly. 

Softwood can be used as outdoor firewood when burned in a campfire. It smokes and pops a bit, but since everything is outside, with a proper fire ring, you don’t have much to worry about. You get a quick-burning, hot fire that doesn’t last all night long. When you’re out camping, you’re probably not going to stay up all night long, you’ve got to go catch those early rising fish!  

The 10 Slowest Burning Firewoods

It is difficult to narrow down an exact time for each type of firewood, and exactly how long each one burns. There are many factors to include, such as how much airflow is around the fire, how you stack the logs and the thickness of the logs. Even in a single tree, you can get different densities and logs with varying burn times.

All the hardwoods in this list are pretty close to one another in density, heat output, and length of burn from start to ash. The average burn time for this list is from 5 to 8 hours long. This means you can get yourself a nice roaring fire full of warmth and ambiance, go to bed, and still have enough coals to continue a fire when you wake in the morning. 

Now that we have established the difference between soft and hard wood, and which is best used in which application, let’s get into the 10 slowest burning firewoods. 

1. Oak

Oak firewood is probably one of the best firewoods you can find. It does not put off the most heat or burn longer than any other firewood out there, but the other benefits simply put oak firewood near the top of any list. 

Oak is an excellent firewood because it produces a lot of heat, creates very little smoke or sparks, but it’s not very easy to split.

Oak firewood puts off plenty of heat. For one cord of wood, which is 128 cubic feet, oak measures an average of 27 million BTUs. There are a few species of hardwoods that burn hotter than oak, but they are harder to find. Oak is abundant nearly anywhere in the US, which makes it an easy-to-find, hot-burning, long-lasting choice for firewood. 

Oak firewood also burns clean when seasoned. You will not have a lot of smoke or creosote build-up when you burn oak firewood. 

An oak fire will burn for a long time. We used a wood-burning stove to heat our family house, and plenty of oak firewood. It was easy to find, and when I had a good bed of coals burning at night, it created plenty of heat that lasted all night long. 

When you get up in the middle of the night for a drink of water, or to stumble to the bathroom, you might have to put a log or two on the fire just to keep it extra toasty, but most times it is unnecessary with oak firewood and it can last at least half of the night (5-8 hours) if in a wood stove.

For more specific varieties of oak, check out our article on the 10 best oak trees for firewood!

2. Maple 

Maple firewood is another great choice for firewood as it burns hot, is efficient, and is readily available almost everywhere as well. It doesn’t get as hot as most oak firewoods; it burns at about 25 million BTUs per cord.

This hardwood is not as dense as oak, so normally it does not burn as long, but it is still a hot, long-lasting choice for firewood. Another benefit—as some see it—is if you burn this wood in your fireplace or campfire, the smell that comes off maple is sweet. Depending on which variety you burn, you could smell maple syrup, or get scents similar to cherry and apple wood. 

In your wood-burning stove, maple is a good choice because of the heat it puts out, the long-lasting fire, and its availability. In this list, for longevity, maple firewood would be somewhere in the middle of all these long-lasting firewoods most likely lasting around 4-7 hours in a wood stove at average temperature.

If you’d like to learn more about our top two firewood trees, you can check out our article on the major leaf and bark differences between oak and maple trees here.

3. Ash

Some people will swear by ash trees for firewood and say it’s the best around. It certainly has plenty of reasons it’s a great firewood. If you cut and split your own firewood, it is a very easy splitting wood, does not take long to season, especially compared to oak, and it burns clean and hot. 

In a wood-burning stove, meant to heat your house, ash is great because it puts off about as much heat as maple firewood. Although, because of the harder density, it will probably last longer.

Ash firewood also produces very little, well, ash when it is burned. It burns very clean, meaning you have less to clean out after a fire. Ash firewood lasts about as long as oak does, meaning a good fire should go for around 6 to 8 hours, providing plenty of long-lasting heat for your home. 

People enjoy ash tree firewood because it splits easily and seasons in a brief period. Where oak may take at least a year, sometimes even three, ash is ready to burn in about 6 to 8 months. It makes a superb choice when you are running low or need firewood soon. 

4. Hickory 

Hickory is one of the few firewoods that tops even the mighty oak. It’s a super dense wood and burns hotter than oak at 28 million BTUs per cord. It also lasts slightly longer than oak. 

In a fireplace and wood-burning stove, hickory firewood is an all-star champ. It provides even more heat than coal and lasts a very long time. It may not be as prevalent as oak or maple firewood, but if you can find or buy hickory firewood, you should. 

Hickory lives up to the legend of being a very hard wood. If hickory nuts are tough to crack, the wood is equally, if not more, tough to split. You will probably need a hydraulic splitter if you are cutting and splitting your own firewood. Other than the difficulty in splitting, hickory firewood is among the hottest and longest burning firewood. 

If you are in the market for a small hydraulic splitter, the Bestauto Log Splitter Pump Kit is a fantastic option! It is made of a high-quality aluminum, which is also wear resistant. It is also compatible with horizontal and vertical shaft engines.

5. Cherry 

Probably the most pleasing attribute of burning cherry firewood would be the sweet aroma. You might not notice this when you burn cherry firewood in your wood-burning stove, but it’s very noticeable in fireplaces and campfires. 

That’s where this wood really shines, though. Cherry firewood only burns at about 20 million BTUs, which is lower than our other firewoods on the list. If you cut your own wood and use firewood to heat your house, cherry is actually a good wood in a pinch because it splits easily, and seasons quickly. 

Cherry firewood is still a longer burning choice compared to poplar, or butternut. It’s similar in density to oak and should still give you a long burn time of at least 5 to 7 hours in a fireplace or wood-burning stove. 

6. Apple 

Apple is another fragrant firewood known for its aromatic scent. Unlike cherry firewood, apple is a hot-burning wood and produces around 27 million BTUs per cord. This is right on par with oak. 

Apple trees are not nearly as prevalent as oak trees though, because of course these trees are also prized for their fruits every late summer and fall. If an orchard is downsizing or getting rid of trees because they do not produce as much fruit anymore, you might get lucky and be able to purchase apple wood.

Apple firewood works great in wood-burning stoves because of the long-lasting, intense heat. The firewood is also great for fireplaces and campfires because of the heat, and the sweet smells that come from burning this wood.

Overall, apple firewood is almost as long-lasting as oak, puts off just as much heat, but also provides a glorious scent when burned; it’s great firewood for whatever your needs. 

7. Hornbeam 

More prevalent on the eastern side of the US, hornbeam is a firewood that will have you tending to the fire less, and enjoying the toasty warmth this firewood provides more. Hornbeam is a very dense wood, so it will burn for much longer than some others. 

One cord of hornbeam wood provides a high heat output of 27 million BTUs. It may take a little longer to get this firewood started because of the high density, but once this firewood takes, you can load up the wood-burning stove or fireplace and go about your business. For a firewood that will chase away the most bitter of chills, and last 6 to 8 hours, you cannot go wrong with hornbeam firewood. 

8. Walnut 

Even in a list of great, long-lasting firewoods, we still have to have one that is basically at the bottom of the list; walnut. This wood, though still good firewood, is about your average grade as far as longevity and heat. It may be a little difficult to find as firewood unless you cut it yourself because the wood is valued in furniture making.

Walnut burns a little hotter than cherry at 22 million BTUs, but it’s a medium-density wood and will not burn as long as cherry firewood. In a fireplace or campfire, if you mix walnut with something that burns hotter, longer, and has a more neutral smell, then you get the benefit of a great smelling fire with added heat and longevity.  

If you have walnut trees on your property, you probably notice there is not much growing around it because walnut trees produce a substance most other vegetation dislike. Not to mention, the nuts that drop off the tree every fall can wreak havoc on your mower.

I mention this because you might cut the walnut trees out of your property. If so, then why not use it as firewood?

Walnut is not the firewood you will be actively seeking, but if you are thinning them out of your property, it makes decent, long-ish-lasting firewood logs. It is better than turning it into mulch—because you might end up inadvertently killing off your landscaping if you do.

9. Hawthorn  

If you have twisty, thorny hawthorn trees on your property and you want them gone, then you have a good season or two of great, hot, long-lasting firewood waiting for you. Hawthorn trees are very dense and burn quite hot at 25 million BTUs per cord. 

Since this tree has large thorns and is difficult to split, you might not find hawthorn sold commercially. If you are cutting your own firewood or clearing these trees off your property, then you are getting some of the best firewood around.

Hawthorn wood has a wavy, twisted grain that is difficult to split, and large spikes you will need to be careful around, but it’s a dense wood that will burn for a long time. Think somewhere between oak and hickory as far as longevity. So if you have hawthorn, burn it in your fireplace, wood-burning stove, or campfire. It’s a great firewood.

10. Osage orange 

Osage orange, also known as horse apple—although the green, wrinkly-looking fruits are not really edible—is at the top of the list for density, heat, and long-lasting firewood. Some people have even reported the heat that comes off Osage orange is so hot, it can warp wood-burning stove meta

Osage orange firewood releases intense heat, 34 million BTUs per cord, and is better used as a supplement for cooler burning firewoods such as hawthorn, or ash. It’s also known to spark, so the best place for this firewood is in the campfire. 

This firewood is not as prevalent in the US as others on the list because they require perfect soil conditions, are considered somewhat of a nuisance, and are so dense they are difficult to cut. That all being said, if you cut your own Osage orange trees, you will have a raging hot, marathon long-lasting fire from this firewood. 

What Wood Should Not Be Burned?

When burning firewood inside your wood-burning stove, if you don’t know what kind of wood it is, then the best advice is to leave it out of your stove. Only burn wood you have purchased from a reputable firewood dealer, or if you know exactly what kind of wood it is. You don’t want to burn softwoods that will smoke and cause a lot of creosote buildup that will need to be cleaned out all the time.

Softwoods are fine for outdoor campfires. They produce a lot of heat quickly, and can spark quite a bit, so they are better suited for outdoor fires. 

You already know this, but you should not burn scrap wood/building materials anywhere. Unknown chemicals can be released if you burn scrap wood, which isn’t safe, even outdoors. 

That’s A Wrap!

There you have it, 10 slowest burning firewoods and how long they burn. All the woods on the list are great, long-lasting woods, with burn temperatures high enough to keep you warm and leave you plenty of time to enjoy the amazing, natural heat. 

Oak, maple, and ash are all firewoods you can probably purchase from local firewood dealers and work great in all your wood burning needs. Some others on this list such as hickory, Osage orange, and hawthorn are woods to consider cutting for yourself to use as firewood because they are great, long-lasting firewoods. 

References:

Larjavaara, Markku, and Helene C. Muller-Landau. “Rethinking the Value of High Wood Density.” Functional Ecology, vol. 24, no. 4, [British Ecological Society, Wiley], 2010, pp. 701–05.

P. Abbot, J. Lowore, C. Khofi, M. Werren, Defining firewood quality: A comparison of  quantitative and rapid appraisal techniques to evaluate firewood species from a southern African savanna, Biomass and Bioenergy, Volume 12, Issue 6, 1997, Pages 429-437, ISSN 0961-9534.

Robert Francis, Alexa Dufraisse, Firewood and timber collection and management strategies from early medieval sites in eastern England. Initial results from the anthraco-typological analysis of oak charcoal remains, Quaternary International, Volumes 593–594, 2021, Pages 320-331, ISSN 1040-6182.