When i joined FHC in February i was one of the folks who believed pine causes chimney fires, but have since learned otherwise. I dont burn any softwoods other than board form kindling. I have burned some in the firepit. More than enough hardwood available to me It is fine to burn as long as its DRY! Not burned a lot around here due to the myth. I found some roadside in July see my thread Morning Score Turns Out to be Soft Wood! :-( I drive by there often and sign and most of wood still there.
I think you are missing out Brad. A few splits when you are first starting up and you’ll be up to temperature in no time. It’s like super-kindling. And it dries out so quick. I think even in the round it dries out in a year or so due to the lower density.. but I don’t have any evidence to back that up. I have a few rounds that wouldn’t split when I brought them home, but stacked for a little while and they would be flying apart if it weren’t for a few knots holding them together.
Since coming here, drying wood has been a constant thing I think about more often since I want to ensure wood isn’t being destroyed by ground contact. Here in WA when the rain comes it pours. This Summer was 50-50 dry at times then it was rainy. So I had worked to get wood off the ground that was waiting to be cut up. The history lesson is that any wood about 2-3 months out in the exposure of sun, wood was considered “ok to burn”. But I remember how heavy the wood was and thought more through it (growing up, many fires but less critical thinking about water burning) nobody said much about pine but fires seemed smoky... and since some sources were from the ocean it was a deal between getting a hot fire going with the drier fuel to cook out the wet fuel. Now I’m stacked with wood so I won’t be taking the driftwood anymore.(Ocean camping lot) I hadn’t burned in a wood stove of our own unless it was at my aunt’s. Fireplace at my parents. Mostly outdoor fires. That being said, firewood was stacked but not dried out enough. Now I cannot stress it enough and when I get it, I keep it off the ground, in a good spot for wind and sun and do my best to cover it.
Don’t want to turn down pine but sometimes the ends seal up heavily and I save it for outdoor fires. A friend had a tree cut down and told me just take the wood, without realizing a couple bits of it had this stuff on THICK. I guess I should’ve tried to take off the pitch caps that seal the cut ends. Not my photo but same idea. I’d seen more where its a sap cap and looks like cupcake frosting, some fell off some didn’t. They make a lot of sooty smoke and don’t make a good smoke during fires when you’re making fires for people to sit around. Pine works great to have those fires since you extend the need to burn your hardwoods for the times when you really need it.
Mag Craft - Don't know what area you are referring to but we did drive through a huge burn which looked like it happened last year on Medicine Bow NF near WY-CO border on route 230 south west of Laramie. Devastating.
There's been a couple over there but the area you saw could have been the worst. Mag Craft , we used to cut on Commanche Peak Road and other cut zones near Red Feather, can you get a cut permit for Colorado?
Got some more red pine from my stash at the town pit. Ill use it this month for shoulder wood or until it burns my house down. Lol
I really might try it. I have a ton for the fire pit. I remember waking up at my aunt's house in the Berkshires to go skiing as a young kid with the worst sore throats of my life. My dad told me it was due to the pine she was burning in her wood stove because she didn't have much money. Oh us eastern educated elites.
Fresh to the forums, but I didn't see many replies from Montana! I WISH we had more hardwood here, but pine and fir are plentiful and easy to get. Hardwood is rare and expensive. Pine is definitely just fine, my stove does well even to -40°F. Here's my current stash:
lol, pretty much! Only a social hoarder as I don't have a lot of space and only use around 2 cords a winter, but I'm close to having a decent rotation of logs -> rounds -> split/stacked to be at least a year ahead. Far enough that even the rounds season most of the way. The one nice blessing with pine is it's quick seasoning. I also use only 12" lengths.
Hey now, luckily it's not 40 below all the time! Usually much warmer, but we do get days/weeks in a row in the negatives every year. My forecast is looking fantastic, may have to fire up the stove for the first time this week!
I’d have to ask how much of a house you’re heating there. Thinking of that kinda chill, the stove is going pretty good at that point. Everyone’s situation is different but as long as your house is warm, no problem!
