What kind of wood is best for fire pit?

Having a fire pit in your backyard can provide a great space for gathering with friends and family. When using a fire pit, choosing the right kind of wood is key to getting a good fire going and reducing smoke. So what is the best fire pit wood to use? Here’s a look at some of the most popular options.

Hardwoods

Hardwoods like oak, maple, birch, and beech are excellent choices for burning in a fire pit. Here’s why:

• Hardwoods tend to be very dense, so they burn slower and more evenly than softer woods.
• The dense quality also helps hardwoods produce more heat output per cord than softer woods.
• These woods emit a nice flame and often have a pleasant wood smoke smell.
• Oak in particular has a reputation for providing an excellent wood burning fire because of its density and lack of sap.
• Hardwoods are relatively easy to acquire in many areas.

Some examples of good hardwoods for fire pits include:

• Oak – Red oak, white oak, black oak. Burns very hot with little smoke.
• Maple – Sugar maple and red maple have dense wood that provides great heat output.
• Birch – A popular firewood with a nice flame pattern due to natural oils.
• Beech – Similar to oak in density. May spark a bit more than other hardwoods.
• Ash – While not quite as dense as oak, ash still burns cleanly and evenly.

In general, seasoned hardwood that has been split, stacked, and dried for 6-12 months makes for the best fire pit wood. Optimal moisture content is under 20%.

Softwoods

Softwoods like pine, fir, spruce, and cedar are also decent options for burning in fire pits. Here are some benefits of softwoods:

• Softwoods tend to be inexpensive and widely available.
• They light easily thanks to natural sap and oils.
• Softwoods burn faster than hardwoods, making them good kindling.
• The wood smoke smell can be pleasant with pine and cedar.

Some good softwood choices include:

• Pine – While pine burns faster than hardwoods, it’s inexpensive and easy to start.
• Fir – Fir also lights easily and burns fast with minimal smoke.
• Cedar – Has a pleasing aroma when burned. Avoid western red cedar which sparks a lot.
• Spruce – Spruce splits easily and gives a decent flame pattern.

The main drawbacks of softwoods are that they don’t produce as much heat, burn faster, and generate more smoke and creosote buildup in the fire pit or chimney. Allowing the wood to dry for several months helps increase heat output.

Fruit and Nut Woods

Fruit woods like apple, cherry, peach, and pear produce excellent fire pit fires. Here’s why fruit woods work well:

• Fruit woods tend to be dense, so they burn at high heat like hardwoods.
• The dense quality also means longer burn times per cord.
• Fruit trees produce very little smoke or odor.
• Any smoke that is emitted often smells sweet from the fruit sap and oils.

Some top fruit and nut wood options are:

• Apple – Extremely dense wood that provides great heat output and beautiful flames.
• Cherry – Burns slowly with a pleasant cherry smoke smell.
• Peach – Imparts a subtle fruity aroma when burned.
• Pear – Similar to apple, this dense wood has high heat value.
• Pecan – While not quite as hot as fruit woods, pecan burns evenly.
• Almond – One of the hottest and longest-burning nut tree woods.

Fruit woods do need to be fully cured and dried before use. But their dense quality makes them ideal fire pit fuel.

Avoid Burning:

While many wood types work well, there are some woods you should avoid burning in fire pits:

• Green or wet wood – Causes excessive smoke and doesn’t produce much heat.
• Rotted wood – Also produces unwanted smoke and odors.
• Plywood/wood products – Can release toxic chemicals with dangerous fumes.
• Poisonous woods – Burning things like poison oak, ivy, or sumac can cause toxic smoke.
• Aromatic softwoods – Woods like western red cedar smoke heavily.
• Large logs – Big unsplit logs burn inefficiently and are harder to start.

It’s also best to avoid any wood that has been treated with stains, paint, or preservatives, as they release harmful vapors. Untreated natural wood is always the best choice.

Best Overall Fire Pit Woods

If you had to choose just a couple top options for fire pit fuel across North America, these woods stand above the rest:

• Oak – A quintessential firewood, oak burns hot, evenly, and for a long time with little smoke.
• Maple – Extremely dense grain makes maple one of the hottest woods you can burn.
• Fruit woods – Apple, cherry, peach and other fruit trees make outstanding fire pit fuels.

While oak and maple are common favorites, you can’t go wrong with most seasoned hardwoods. Just be sure to properly dry and cure them first. Softwoods will burn faster and need more frequent loading. But they can be a good budget option.

No matter what type of wood you choose, the most important thing is making sure it has been dried or “cured” to reduce moisture content below 20%. Burning wet, green wood will lead to excessive smoke, low heat output, and faster creosote buildup in your fire pit or chimney.

Tips for Preparing Fire Pit Wood

Here are some tips to prepare wood for optimal burning in fire pits:

• Use already dead and downed wood, not green wood from live trees.
• Cut logs into shorter lengths that will fit in your fire pit.
• Split the wood into smaller pieces to dry faster.
• Stack the split wood off the ground in single rows with spacing between stacks.
• Allow wood to air dry under cover for 6-12 months until moisture content is under 20%.
• Test wood moisture with a moisture meter. Ideal range is 15-20% moisture content.
• Store cured wood in a dry area until ready to use.

Taking the time to properly season your firewood will pay off with hotter, cleaner burning fires and less smoke once you put it in the fire pit. It also eliminates the need to finish drying wood in the fire, which causes excess smoke.

How to Start a Fire in a Fire Pit

Once you have high-quality fire pit wood prepared, follow these steps for starting a great fire:

1. Light a fire starter cube or use crumpled paper as tinder in the fire pit.
2. Stack small dry kindling over the starter in a crisscross or teepee shape.
3. Allow kindling to fully ignite before adding larger split logs.
4. Place 2-3 logs over the kindling, spaced slightly apart.
5. Let logs fully catch fire before adding more logs to prevent smothering.
6. Add additional split logs as needed, arranging them compactly as the fire progresses.

Some other fire starting tips:

• Softwoods make great kindling, while hardwoods are better for longer-burning logs.
• Use small logs or ends of logs first before adding big pieces.
• Adjust air intake vents as needed to control the fire intensity.
• Don’t overload the fire pit with too many logs at once.
• Let the fire burn down periodically to maintain proper airflow.

Safety Tips

Always keep fire safety in mind when using a fire pit:

• Place the fire pit at least 10 feet away from buildings, trees, and other combustibles.
• Don’t use flammable accelerants like gasoline or kerosene to start the fire.
• Keep a fire extinguisher, water hose, or bucket of sand nearby in case of emergencies.
• Supervise the fire at all times until completely extinguished.
• Extinguish flames completely before leaving the fire pit unattended.
• Dispose of ashes in a metal container after completely cooling.

Proper use and preparation of fire pit wood will lead to many enjoyable evenings around the flames. Just be sure to always make safety the top priority.

Conclusion

Choosing the right type of wood is essential for getting good results from your fire pit. Seasoned hardwoods like oak, maple, and fruit woods provide the best combination of heat output, burn time, and low smoke. While softwoods burn faster, they are inexpensive and easy to start. Just be sure any wood has been properly dried before using. Taking time to prepare the wood, build a good starter fire, and follow safety precautions will allow your fire pit to provide enjoyment for years to come.