You can use pine trees for firewood, but pine is a softwood with properties that differ significantly from those of hardwoods. Burning pine requires specific preparation and usage habits to maximize its heating potential and maintain safety. The wood’s unique composition means it burns differently and is best suited for certain applications in your fireplace or wood stove.
The Core Difference: Pine Wood Properties
Pine is classified as a softwood, meaning it has a lower wood density compared to hardwoods like oak or maple. This lower density is the main reason a cord of pine yields fewer British Thermal Units (BTUs) of heat per volume. For instance, a cord of white pine may produce around 14.3 million BTUs, while a cord of dense hardwood can exceed 24 million BTUs.
This difference in density means that while a pound of dry pine has a comparable heat energy content to a pound of dry hardwood, you simply get less mass in the same volume. Pine wood also contains higher levels of resin and sap compared to many hardwoods. These resins are highly volatile and contribute to the wood’s characteristic fast ignition and rapid, intense burn.
The result of these properties is that pine creates a quick, hot flash fire that burns out much faster than the long-lasting coals produced by denser hardwoods. This faster burn makes it less efficient for overnight heating or maintaining a steady, low temperature for extended periods.
Essential Preparation and Seasoning
The greatest influence on how well pine burns is its moisture content, making proper seasoning a necessary step before use. Freshly cut, or “green,” wood can contain moisture content well over 50%. Burning it is inefficient because a large portion of the heat energy is wasted boiling off the excess water, which is then lost up the chimney.
To be considered seasoned and ready to burn, firewood must have a moisture content below 20%. Pine typically requires a shorter seasoning period than dense hardwoods, often drying sufficiently within 6 to 9 months, though this can vary based on climate. To facilitate this drying process, split pine logs shortly after felling, as splitting exposes more surface area to air circulation.
Proper storage involves stacking the split wood off the ground and covering the top to shield it from rain while leaving the sides exposed to allow air to flow through the pile. Once seasoned, the wood should exhibit “checking,” or small cracks on the ends of the logs.
Safety and Usage Considerations
The primary safety concern associated with burning pine is the potential for increased creosote buildup in the chimney flue. Creosote is a highly flammable, tar-like residue that condenses when smoke and combustion gases cool inside the chimney. While pine’s resin content can contribute to the volatiles in the smoke, the main factors that cause excessive creosote are burning wood with high moisture content and maintaining a low-temperature, smoldering fire.
To mitigate creosote risk when using pine, you must burn it hot and fast, ensuring a vigorous flame rather than a slow burn. Studies have shown that a smoldering fire can produce up to 48 times more creosote than a hot, flaming fire with the same fuel. Hot fires ensure that the flammable gases from the wood are combusted completely before they can cool and condense in the flue.
Pine is ideally suited for use as kindling or for quickly establishing a hot fire, due to its low density and high resin content. It is also a good choice for short fires during mild weather when you need a quick burst of heat without the commitment of a long-burning hardwood fire. When using pine regularly, have your chimney professionally inspected annually, with cleaning performed if the soot buildup reaches 1/8 inch thickness.