The best wood for a fireplace is properly seasoned, locally available firewood that suits how you plan to use it. Dryness matters more than choosing a prestigious species: the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says firewood burns best below 20% moisture. For a longer fire and a bed of coals, oak or hickory can be useful if you have time to dry them; for general use, maple, birch, ash and beech are practical options. These species recommendations come from regional extension guidance, so local supply and conditions matter.
How to choose fireplace wood
Compare firewood on more than species. The useful questions are whether it is dry enough, how easily it lights, how long it burns, how much effort it takes to split and handle, and whether it is available locally. Dense wood can support a longer burn, but wet wood is a poor choice regardless of species.
- For starting a fire: Use small, dry kindling. Softwoods and less-dense hardwoods such as maple can help get a fire going.
- For everyday use: Maple, birch, ash and beech are described by University of New Hampshire Extension as moderately easy to dry and split, with medium burn length.
- For longer burns and coals: Oak and hickory are suited to longer fires, but are harder to split and can take longer to dry.
- For a practical mix: UNH Extension recommends a mix of hardwoods with a small amount of kindling wood in its regional guidance. Adjust that advice to local species, supply and fireplace instructions.
These are useful trade-offs, not a universal ranking. UNH Extension’s species guidance reflects regional conditions; your climate, wood source and appliance affect what works best. See its firewood guidance.
Which firewood burns the longest?
Oak and hickory are the strongest choices in the cited species guidance when a longer burn and good coals are the priority. Their advantage comes with a preparation cost: they can be tough to split and difficult to dry thoroughly. If you cannot confirm that a load is dry, a less demanding species that is ready to burn is the better choice.
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University of Illinois Extension lists 24.4 million BTUs per cord for red/black oak and 23.7 million BTUs per cord for hard maple. These are regional reference values, with no year stated on the source page; they are not guaranteed output for every cord, species source or fireplace. They should not be treated as a universal performance ranking. See Illinois Extension’s firewood safety information.
How dry should firewood be?
The EPA’s guidance is to burn wood below 20% moisture and to season firewood for at least six months. Six months is a starting point, not a guarantee: species, weather, stacking and storage conditions change how quickly wood dries. Oak may take two years or more to air-dry, while Cornell Cooperative Extension says properly stacked wood in a relatively low-humidity area may fall below 20% within a year. Treat those timeframes as practical guidance, not a promise for every stack or climate.
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Check moisture rather than trusting a label
A moisture meter is an optional way to check whether a load is ready. Split a piece and measure its freshly exposed face, following the meter’s instructions; the outside of a log may not reflect the moisture inside. The EPA recommends testing firewood with a meter in its moisture-meter guidance.
Stack wood to dry
Split wood dries faster because splitting exposes more surface area, and smaller pieces are easier to load. The EPA recommends storing firewood outdoors, raised off the ground, with the top covered but the sides open to airflow. Its burning tips also recommend small, dry kindling and natural fire starters.
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What woods are useful for each job?
| Wood or group | What the guidance says | Practical use |
|---|---|---|
| Pine, hemlock, spruce and aspen | UNH Extension says these woods dry and split easily, but do not provide a long burn; it also cautions that they can spark. | Kindling or starting wood, used with care and in line with appliance instructions. |
| Maple, birch, ash and beech | UNH Extension describes these as moderately easy to dry and split, with medium burn length. | General-purpose firewood when properly dry and locally available. |
| Oak and hickory | UNH Extension says they can be difficult to dry and tough to split, but are useful for longer burns and developing coals. Cornell says oak may take two years or more to air-dry. | Longer-burning fuel when you can obtain and season it adequately. |
The table reflects regional extension descriptions, not a universal species test. Local availability, seasoning and the operating instructions for your fireplace or insert should guide the final choice.
What not to burn in a fireplace
The EPA advises against burning wet or green wood, household trash, plastics, coated paper, painted or pressure-treated wood, ocean driftwood, plywood, particleboard, wood containing glue, or rotted, diseased or moldy wood. These materials can create avoidable smoke or other hazards. Some wax-and-sawdust manufactured logs are intended only for open-hearth fireplaces, so check your appliance manual before using one. See the EPA’s best wood-burning practices.
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Buy and burn firewood locally
The EPA recommends locally cut firewood to reduce the risk of transporting invasive forest pests. Transport restrictions and other local rules may apply, so check requirements where you live before moving wood across county or state lines. If buying, ask when and how the wood was seasoned, and verify moisture rather than relying on a seller’s description alone. Seasoned and kiln-dried wood is available in some areas, but supply and delivery are local; Cornell Cooperative Extension’s firewood-buying guidance discusses those considerations.
Use and store firewood safely
Follow the manufacturer’s operating directions for your fireplace or insert. The EPA also advises keeping flammable objects away, keeping appliance doors closed except when loading or stoking, and avoiding gasoline, kerosene and charcoal starter when lighting a wood fire. Put ashes in a covered metal container outdoors on a nonflammable surface.
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The EPA identifies its Burn Wise pages as historic records; the program’s content stopped being updated on October 30, 2025. Treat its advice as published guidance and check current local rules and your appliance instructions.
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