Best Firewood for Fire Pits
The firewood you burn in a fire pit, chiminea, or outdoor fireplace has a greater effect on the quality of the fire than almost any other variable within your control. Dry hardwood burns hot, clean, and long with minimal smoke. Wet, green, or low-quality wood burns slowly, produces excessive smoke, deposits creosote in chimney necks and flue liners, and leaves behind heavy, unburned char rather than a clean ash bed. The difference between a satisfying evening around a fire and an evening spent managing smoke and relighting a struggling fire is almost always the wood.
This guide covers everything you need to choose, source, and store the right firewood for your fire feature.
The Single Most Important Variable: Moisture Content
Moisture content is the most important quality indicator in firewood, more significant than species, size, or source. All wood contains water, both free water in the cell cavities and bound water within the cell walls. When wood burns, heat energy is first consumed in driving off this moisture before the wood can combust properly. Wood with high moisture content burns at a lower effective temperature, produces more visible smoke (which is largely water vapor and unburned particulate), and deposits significantly more creosote in enclosed fire features like chimineas and outdoor fireplaces.
The target moisture content for firewood used in a residential fire pit or fireplace is 20 percent or below, measured by a wood moisture meter. Freshly cut green wood typically contains 40 to 60 percent moisture. Air-dried seasoned wood cut 12 to 24 months ago typically reaches 15 to 20 percent. Kiln-dried wood is commercially dried to below 20 percent and often below 15 percent, it burns reliably from purchase without the waiting period that air-seasoned wood requires.
A wood moisture meter costs under $20 and takes a split-second reading from the cut face of a log. If you are buying firewood in bulk from a local supplier who claims it is seasoned, a moisture meter reading at the point of purchase confirms or contradicts that claim in seconds. Investing in one pays for itself immediately if it prevents a single cord purchase of wood that turns out to be inadequately seasoned.
Hardwood vs Softwood
Hardwood and softwood differ fundamentally in density, resin content, and burning behavior, differences that matter significantly for fire pit and fireplace use.
Hardwood
Hardwood comes from deciduous trees, oak, hickory, maple, ash, cherry, birch, and similar species. These woods are denser than softwoods, contain less resin, and burn more slowly and completely. A hardwood fire in a fire pit produces a deep coal bed that sustains radiant heat well after the active flame subsides, extending the usable warm period of the fire. Hardwood produces less creosote per unit of combustion than softwood, making it the preferred fuel for enclosed fire features like chimineas and outdoor fireplaces where creosote accumulation in the flue is a maintenance concern.
Hardwood requires a longer drying period than softwood when air-seasoning from green, oak typically needs 12 to 24 months to reach optimal moisture content; denser species like osage orange and black locust may need even longer.
Softwood
Softwood comes from coniferous trees, pine, fir, spruce, and cedar. Softwood is less dense than hardwood, ignites more easily, and burns faster. It is a useful kindling material for starting a fire because it catches quickly and produces a hot initial flame that brings larger hardwood pieces up to combustion temperature. As a primary fuel in a fire pit, softwood burns through quickly and requires more frequent reloading than hardwood.
The higher resin content of softwood produces more smoke and more creosote residue than hardwood. For open fire pit use where creosote accumulation in an enclosed flue is not a concern, softwood is an acceptable supplemental fuel used alongside hardwood. For chimineas and outdoor fireplaces with chimney or flue liner systems, softwood should be limited to the kindling stage rather than used as the primary fuel load.
Best Hardwood Species for Fire Pits
Oak
Oak is the benchmark hardwood for fire pit and fireplace use in most of the US. It is widely available across the country, burns for a long time with a consistent, moderate flame, and produces a good coal bed with low smoke output when properly seasoned. The main limitation is the long seasoning period, green oak needs 12 to 24 months of air-drying to reach optimal moisture content. Kiln-dried oak is available from many suppliers and eliminates this wait.
Heat output: High | Burn duration: Long | Smoke: Low when dry | Availability: Excellent nationwide
Hickory
Hickory burns hotter than oak and produces one of the highest BTU outputs per cord of any commonly available firewood species. It burns with a bright, intense flame and leaves a clean, light ash bed. Hickory is particularly well suited to fire pit cooking applications because of its high heat and the pleasant aromatic smoke it produces. It is less widely available than oak in some regions.
Heat output: Very high | Burn duration: Long | Smoke: Low | Availability: Good in Southeast and Midwest
Maple
Hard maple (sugar maple) is a dense, clean-burning hardwood with heat output close to oak. It burns evenly, produces minimal smoke, and is widely available across the Northeast and Midwest. Soft maple varieties (silver maple, red maple) are less dense and burn faster than hard maple but are still a good fire pit fuel when seasoned adequately.
Heat output: High | Burn duration: Long to medium | Smoke: Low | Availability: Excellent in Northeast and Midwest
Ash
Ash is one of the best firewood species for residential fire pit use because it seasons faster than oak and burns well even at slightly higher moisture content than most hardwoods. A well-known attribute of ash, captured in the old saying that it burns well “green”, reflects its relatively low moisture content compared to other freshly cut hardwoods. Properly seasoned ash burns cleanly with low smoke and good heat output.
Heat output: High | Burn duration: Medium to long | Smoke: Low | Availability: Good in Northeast, Midwest, and Mid-Atlantic
Cherry
Cherry wood burns with a mild, pleasant aroma that makes it particularly enjoyable for social fire pit evenings where the sensory experience of the fire matters. Heat output is moderate, lower than oak or hickory, but it burns cleanly with minimal smoke and is easy to light. Cherry is often available as a byproduct of orchard maintenance, making it a good value in fruit-growing regions.
Heat output: Medium | Burn duration: Medium | Smoke: Very low, aromatic | Availability: Good in orchard regions; limited elsewhere
Birch
Birch ignites easily and burns with a bright, cheerful flame that makes it visually appealing for fire pit use. Heat output is moderate and burn duration is shorter than oak or hickory, so birch works best in combination with denser hardwoods rather than as a standalone fuel. It seasons reasonably quickly, typically 12 months is sufficient for most birch species.
Heat output: Medium | Burn duration: Medium | Smoke: Low | Availability: Good in Northeast and Northern states
Species Comparison at a Glance
| Species | BTU per Cord (approx.) | Burn Duration | Smoke | Best Use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hickory | 28 million | Long | Very low | Primary fuel, cooking |
| Oak | 26 million | Long | Low | Primary fuel, all uses |
| Hard Maple | 25 million | Long | Low | Primary fuel |
| Ash | 24 million | Medium-long | Low | Primary fuel, faster seasoning |
| Cherry | 20 million | Medium | Very low, aromatic | Mixed fuel, social fires |
| Birch | 20 million | Medium | Low | Kindling, mixed fuel |
| Pine (softwood) | 17 million | Short | Moderate to high | Kindling only |
Kiln-Dried vs Air-Seasoned Firewood
Air-seasoned firewood is cut from green logs and stacked in a dry, ventilated location for 12 to 24 months to reach optimal moisture content. When sourced from a reputable local supplier who has genuinely seasoned the wood for the required period, air-dried firewood is an excellent and cost-effective choice. The main risk is that many suppliers sell firewood that has been “seasoned” for a shorter period than claimed, which means buyers receive wood that is still too wet to burn well.
Kiln-dried firewood is dried in a commercial kiln to a controlled moisture content, typically 15 to 20 percent, and is consistently ready to burn immediately on purchase. It costs more than bulk air-dried wood per cord, but the consistency and convenience justify the premium for many homeowners. Kiln-dried wood is also typically free of insects and fungal spores, which is relevant if firewood is stored near or inside the house.
Bundled retail firewood sold at hardware stores and gas stations is convenient but expensive per unit of heat output, a useful occasional purchase but not a cost-effective option for a fire pit used regularly through a full season. Buying in half-cord or full-cord quantities from a local supplier is significantly more economical for regular use.
What Never to Burn
The following materials should never be burned in a residential fire pit, chiminea, or outdoor fireplace regardless of convenience or apparent similarity to wood:
- Pressure-treated lumber – contains copper compounds and other chemical preservatives that produce toxic combustion byproducts including heavy metals and dioxins.
- Painted or stained wood – the coating releases toxic compounds when burned.
- Plywood, OSB, and composite wood panels – contain formaldehyde-based binders and adhesives that combust into harmful compounds.
- Pallets – unless confirmed as untreated, unpainted HT (heat-treated) pallets, many are chemically treated or contaminated with cargo residue.
- Cardboard and paper in large quantities – produces large floating embers that travel significant distances from the fire.
- Household trash and food waste – produces toxic smoke and leaves corrosive ash residue.
- Driftwood – saltwater-soaked driftwood releases chlorinated compounds when burned.
How to Store Firewood Correctly
Firewood stored correctly stays drier, lasts longer, and is less likely to harbor insects or fungal growth. The key principles are elevation, airflow, and top cover without side wrap.
A firewood rack that keeps the stack 4 to 6 inches off the ground prevents ground moisture from wicking upward through the bottom layers. Rows stacked with consistent spacing allow air to circulate through the stack and carry away moisture, a tightly packed stack with no airspace dries slowly and harbors mold in humid climates. A top cover, a tarp, a metal roof sheet, or a purpose-made firewood cover, sheds rain and snow from the top of the stack while leaving the sides open for ventilation.
Storing firewood against the house wall is convenient but creates a pest harborage pathway to the structure. A minimum distance of 20 feet from the house is recommended, or indoor storage in a separate structure such as a shed or outbuilding.
Buying Firewood Cost-Effectively
A full cord of firewood (a stacked volume of 128 cubic feet, typically 4x4x8 feet) is the most cost-effective purchase unit for homeowners who use a fire pit or fireplace regularly through a burning season. Half-cord and face-cord (also called a rick) quantities are more manageable for storage but carry a proportionally higher per-cord price.
Buying from a local firewood supplier in late summer or early autumn, before the heating season drives up demand, typically produces better pricing and better wood availability than buying in peak winter demand periods. Buying directly from a tree service that is processing recently felled hardwood trees in your area is another cost-effective route, particularly for oak, maple, and ash, though this wood will need 12 to 24 months of seasoning before it is ready to burn.
Part of the Fuel and Accessories hub. See also: Best Wood Burning Fire Pits | How to Use and Season a Chiminea | Fire Pit Safety Tips