Pine Firewood

Pine trees are an excellent source of timber for the construction industry. They are a fast-growing type of tree that is easy to work with and economical to grow at scale. Pine is an ideal outdoor firewood for homeowners who are looking for fast-burning, softwood options. Because of its quick-burning properties, Pine is perfect for campfires or fire pits where a larger amount of energy output is needed, but shouldn’t be burned indoors.

Pine produces enough heat to sustain even the chilliest of environments – all while providing a cozy, warm ambiance! Pine is the “hardwood” of the softwood family. These woods are usually more plentiful and sometimes more attractive in price. They ignite easily and can heat your fireplace and flue faster. However, they can create more smoke and creosote. Pinyon Pine lights easily and burns with more flame, but for a softwood gives you a good value as the fire lasts longer than other softwoods typically found in grocery stores.

• Pine’s heat output is low, making it less desirable as the main wood source for really cold climates.
• Pine burns easily so it’s great for kindling, especially as it is cheap and easy to find.
• Its coals are poor which isn’t ideal for heating homes all night but may be okay for campfires.
• Pine is highly resinous so it isn’t recommended for BBQ or smoking meat as it can ruin the smoker and the meat.

Pine firewood Burn Qualities

1. Heat output

For most of us, the main purpose of firewood is to provide heat. If you live in a climate that gets extremely cold, you may want to go for another type of firewood. White pine’s rating is relatively low at 15.9 million BTUs while ponderosa pine has 16.2. Lodgepole pine does better at 21.1 so if you can get this variety, you’ll get better heat.

Compared to other firewoods, white pine produces more heat than eastern red cedar, basswood, white fir, and buckeye. But popular wood like white ash, beech, maple, honeylocust, and oak give off significantly more heat. If pinyon pine firewood is available near you, it is also a great choice.

2. Smoke

Unless you want sore red eyes from a smoke-filled room, we don’t suggest using pine indoors. It produces a lot more smoke than most other types of wood, although Douglas fir gives it a run for its money.

Although an outdoor breeze will help get rid of smoke around a campfire, it’s still not ideal. Expect to get at least a few massive smoke plumes in your face as the fire burns.

Of course, there’s a difference between seasoned pine and green wood. While dry wood still gives off smoke, it’s nothing compared to what you’ll face using the green stuff.

3. Ease of splitting

Round pine logs will take forever to dry and won’t burn well. Like any firewood, splitting it is your best option. Although some wood like maple and oak is easy to split, pine is usually more challenging. The problem is that it’s riddled with knots which are a nightmare to split. If you hit the jackpot and your pine is free from knots, you’ll find it’s easy to split.

4. Sparks

Whether you’re in the house or enjoying the outdoors, firewood that pops and sparks should be avoided. It’s an easy way to start an unwanted fire and no one wants a burning ember landing in their lap!

Whatever type of pine firewood you choose, it’s notoriously bad for sparking. If you decide to use it inside, make sure the fireguard is in place. In the outdoors, don’t leave the campfire unattended as you could have a major blaze on your hands.

5. Aroma

People enjoy the scent of pine that is commonly used in air fresheners and cleaning products. When it comes to firewood, pine is also well-regarded for the fragrance it gives off burning.

If you appreciate a nice-smelling fire, then pine is one of the best. Any meat smokers shouldn’t get ideas about using it in their BBQ or smoker though. Its high levels of resin are not a good match for meat smokers.

6. Coaling

Fires last longer if the wood that’s tossed in has good coaling properties. This is important because no one wants to be hauling loads of wood in from outside all night, just to keep the fire going.

Another benefit of effective coaling is that embers will be waiting for you the next morning. So, you can toss a log onto the fire and it’ll probably light again, without having to go through the whole process again.

Pine doesn’t coal well and tends to burn quickly, a lot like redwood firewood. Compared to almost any other firewood, it performs poorly on the coals it produces.

7. Creosote build-up

All firewood produces creosote as it is burned, but pine creates it in high levels. Creosote is a type of black tar that forms inside chimneys. Exposure to humans can be harmful and it’ll also block your chimney over time.

If you must use pine inside, make sure the chimney is serviced regularly. You may also want to use a combination of pine for kindling and another type of wood for the larger pieces.

8. Sap

Pine is loaded with resin and sap, making it messy to work with. It’ll get everywhere, sticking to your gloves, clothes, and axe or chainsaw. For this reason, it is better suited to outdoor campfires.