Wildfire trees

Has anyone here ever cut down any dead standing trees that have gone through a wildfire? Looks like most of them are burnt ( bark gone) from the ground up to 8ft or so. Curious if they are worth cutting down or not, thanks for your input.

 

I scrounged a big ole Oak that had been through a fire...like totally black on the outside...was fine inside...just messy to deal with because of all the charcoal all over it...burnt some of it this winter, burnt fine.

 

I hadn't thought about the extra mess. Thats a good point. Thank you.

 

I got some burr oak earlier in the fall helping a friend get some wood stacked up for winter. It was fire killed 7 years ago I think. 90% of what we cut that day was still standing. Mostly smaller trees 8-10”, one might have gone over 12”DBH. All was still good, no rot or punk. Brought home about 1/3 cord for myself. Was very surprised when I checked with the moisture meter as I split it. Much of it was still around 40% so I haven’t burned hardly any. It’s a little messy but not bad.
If it is a good firewood species to begin with I’d be getting after it

 

A few years ago I got a bunch of dead standing ash that the landowner had started brush fires at each tree trying to burn them down, . I burned that winter. No real problems cutting, splitting or burning other than messy to handle.

 

I have cut down some standing dead lodge pole that went through a fire. Like others have said here it is messy to deal with but is still good on the inside. The area I cut in was burned about 2 years ago and a lot of those trees still have some pretty good moisture in them. I will be going back for more this summer.

 

A farmer tried to burn a large stack of logs and when it didn't work I cut it for firewood. A tad messy for sure but the wood was fine.

 

Your chain will dull more quickly, but the black char will absorb heat from the sun better drying the wood more quickly assuming the fire rolled through recently. If it was a while ago, may be ready to burn right away... yes, worth pursuing...

 

Just a thought, you might consider at least wearing a handkerchief over your nose, at the very least. The dust from that wood, could, some time down the road cause some problems. As in lung irritation. "We'' face kind of the same thing from the chips, and fine dust coming off a chainsaw chain when just cutting clean firewood.

 

Ya some trees that have been in a wildland fire are ok. Always better to find the ones that the fire only got the bottom 10-20 feet. Then the top is unburned. Lodgepole is my favorite to find in this condition. Be very careful falling any burned trees, fire can do strange things to root systems.

 

Y'all are always full of great information. I appreciate everyones advice. They are pretty near the house within 1 mile. Seems like it may be worth finding the land owner and asking about em. Thanks again guys.

 

I live we’re there was a huge forest fire 10 years ago. There is so much still left to pick and choose from. I just avoid the trees that were burned because it just a big mess of charcoal. But there are plenty others that died and then fell over. Some are worth it, some aren’t. You just have to pick and choose and consider each tree individually. Sometimes rot has set in but sometimes you can still find wood that is good. Kinda depends on if it fell in a low spot and water was able to get to it or it fell in a high spot or on rocks where it stayed dry and rain water would just run off. I will take my saw scrench and stab the trunks to see if it’s solid. If it is I will cut into it with my chainsaw to see if it’s punky or not. When I find something still pretty solid I’ll nab it.

 

That is predominately what I cut albeit not very tall pinion pine.(20-30’)

It is really messy, filthy work within two years of the burn. After that the bark comes right off by running a scrench or screwdriver under the bark. Lots of times the bark falls off when tossing into a pile/pickup or trailer.

 

I also should add that the core of the tree is rarely compromised unless it had some rot at the time of the blaze.

 

I love the smell of pinion pine. Great BTUs too.