Pines and Softwood Flowering Plants
Pines are not the fastest burning firewoods. According to the BTU charts, cottonwood, willow, aspen, Ohio buckeye and basswood burn faster than any of the pines.
Pines Are the Fastest Burning Conifer
Pines generally burn faster than any other conifer, with white pine being the fastest burner of all. Among the conifers, Douglas fir and the tamarack have the best heat output.
Best Firewoods
Most oaks, beech, yellow and black beech, madrone, Douglas fir, dogwood, hard maple, mulberry, pecan, locust (black and honey), ironwood and hickory have excellent heat ratings as firewood.
Best Heat Release
According to information cited by The Log Rack website, the black locust and ironwood (also called American hornbeam) have the best heat BTU output of any of the major woods listed. The black locust releases 26.5 million BTUs per cord, which is the highest amount on the list.
Other Aspects
Other aspects of the wood need to be taken into account besides the BTU rating. These include ease of splitting, smoke release, sparks and ease of burning.
Article Written By Henri Bauholz
Henri Bauholz is a professional writer covering a variety of topics, including hiking, camping, foreign travel and nature. He has written travel articles for several online publications and his travels have taken him all over the world, from Mexico to Latin America and across the Atlantic to Europe.
