The best firewood for heat is a dense hardwood such as hickory, oak or sugar maple. Softwoods like pine light fast but burn out quickly.
Whatever you burn, it has to be seasoned. Wood above 20% moisture smokes, leaves creosote in the chimney and throws far less heat.
Below, we compare 10 types of firewood by heat, show how long each takes to season, and cover what a cord should cost in 2026.
Updated October 2026: heat figures now come from extension-service tables, plus a new seasoning chart and 2026 cord prices.
Firewood BTU Chart: Heat per Cord by Species
Heat is measured in million BTU per full cord of seasoned wood, at about 20% moisture.
| Wood | Million BTU per cord | Heat | Seasoning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hickory | 28.0 | High | 12+ months | Hottest common firewood |
| White oak | 25.7 | High | 12-24 months | Long, steady burn |
| Red oak | 24.0 | High | 12-24 months | Slow to dry |
| Sugar maple | 24.0 | High | 12+ months | Some smoke, few sparks |
| Black birch | 26.8 | High | 12 months | Bark lights easily |
| White ash | 23.6 | Medium-high | 12 months | Splits easily |
| Yellow birch | 23.6 | Medium-high | 12 months | |
| Paper birch | 20.3 | Medium | 12 months | Moderate smoke |
| Black cherry | 19.9 | Medium | 12 months | Pleasant smell |
| American elm | 19 | Medium | 12+ months | Very hard to split |
| Red or silver maple | 18.7 | Medium | 12 months | |
| Redcedar / juniper | 21 | Low-medium | 6+ months | Many sparks |
| Ponderosa pine | 15 | Low | 6+ months | Sparks; use a screen |
For comparison, a cord of seasoned red oak holds about as much heat as 159 gallons of heating oil, according to Penn State. See our guide to types of fireplaces for how much of that heat each one actually delivers.
1. Oak: The King of Firewood
Oak earns its reputation because it’s dense. A cord of white oak gives about 25.7 million BTU and red oak about 24.
It burns long and steady, which makes it a good choice for overnight fires in a wood stove.
The catch is drying time. Oak can take up to two years to season fully, so buy it early or buy it already seasoned.
2. Maple: The Steady Performer
Maple splits easily and gives steady heat, but the species matters a lot.
Sugar (hard) maple gives about 24 million BTU per cord, close to oak. Red and silver (soft) maple give only about 18.7.
Plan on a year of seasoning for either.
3. Ash: The Easy Splitter
Ash is a favorite because it splits cleanly and dries faster than most hardwoods.
Fresh ash still holds about 45% moisture, so it isn’t ready to burn green. Season it for about a year.
White ash gives about 23.6 million BTU per cord and burns with little smoke.
4. Birch: Nature’s Fire Starter
Birch bark is full of oils, so it catches fast and makes great tinder.
Heat varies by species: black birch gives about 26.8 million BTU per cord, paper birch about 20.3.
Store it covered on top. Birch rots quickly if it sits wet, because the bark holds moisture in.
5. Cherry: The Aromatic Choice
Cherry gives moderate heat, about 19.9 million BTU per cord, with a pleasant smell.
It’s a good choice for an evening fire in the living room or an outdoor fire pit, rather than for heating the house all night.
6. Hickory: The Heat Powerhouse
Hickory is the hottest common firewood, at about 28 million BTU per cord.
It’s dense and hard to split, and it needs a year or more to season. In a stove it gives long, hot fires.
7. Pine: The Softwood Kindling
Pine lights fast and burns bright, but it gives the least heat on this list (about 15 million BTU per cord for ponderosa pine).
Dry pine is fine to burn. Creosote comes mainly from wet wood and smoldering, cool fires, not from pine itself.
It does pop and throw sparks, so use a screen. It’s best as kindling or for quick fires in mild weather.
8. Cedar: The Fragrant Flame
Cedar smells great and lights easily, which makes it good kindling.
It throws a lot of sparks, so keep it for outdoor fires or a stove with the door closed.
9. Manufactured Wood Briquettes: The Modern Alternative
Wood bricks are compressed sawdust, dried to about 6-10% moisture.
Per pound they give roughly 15-25% more heat than seasoned firewood, according to Iowa State figures. The bigger win is space: they pack far more heat into a stack.
A 1-ton pallet runs about $370-475 from New England dealers in 2026.
10. Wood Pellets: The Efficient Option
Pellets only work in a pellet stove, which feeds them automatically. If yours is acting up, see our pellet stove troubleshooting guide.
Maine’s state survey put pellets at $357 a ton in September 2026. A 40-lb bag is usually $6-10.
How Long To Season Firewood
Fresh-cut wood is often 50% water or more. It needs to dry below 20% before you burn it.
The EPA says softwoods need at least six months and hardwoods at least a year. Dense oak can take up to two years in a damp climate.
Wood only dries once it’s split. Whole rounds can sit for a year and still be too wet.
How To Tell if Firewood Is Seasoned
- It’s darker, and the ends show cracks.
- It’s noticeably lighter than fresh wood.
- Two pieces knocked together make a hollow crack, not a dull thud.
- A moisture meter reads under 20% on a freshly split face.
Always test the inside of a split piece. The outside dries first, so a surface reading looks better than the wood is.
Know your wood is dry before you burn it
Push the pins into a freshly split face. Under 20% is ready to burn.
How To Stack Firewood So It Dries
- Split it first, to about 3-6 inches across.
- Stack it off the ground, on a rack or pallets.
- Leave gaps for air, in a sunny, breezy spot.
- Cover the top only. Wrapping the sides in a tarp traps the moisture in.
How To Buy Firewood
Cord, Face Cord and Rick
- Cord: a stack 4 feet high, 4 feet deep and 8 feet long, which is 128 cubic feet.
- Face cord: 4 feet high and 8 feet long, but only one log length deep (usually 16 inches). That’s about a third of a cord.
- Rick or rank: a regional name for a face cord, with no legal definition.
What a Cord of Firewood Costs in 2026
Most buyers pay about $250-$500 for a delivered cord of seasoned hardwood. It’s cheaper near wood sources and dearer in cities and the Northeast.
For an official data point, Maine’s state survey put a seasoned, delivered cord at $355 in September 2026. Kiln-dried wood costs more.
Tips for Buying
- Ask the price per cord, and measure the stack once it’s delivered.
- Get a receipt with the seller’s name, the amount and the price (Connecticut consumer protection advice).
- Ask when the wood was cut and split, and check a few pieces with a moisture meter.
- Buy from a local seller (see below).
Types of Firewood To Avoid
Not everything that burns belongs in your fireplace. Skip these.
Wood From Far Away
Moving firewood spreads tree-killing insects and diseases. Don’t Move Firewood says to buy wood cut within 10 miles where you can, and that 50 miles is too far.
A “kiln-dried” label alone doesn’t make wood safe to move. Only a certified heat-treatment seal does, and your state’s quarantine rules come first.
Green Wood
Unseasoned wood is hard to light, smokes heavily and builds creosote in the chimney. Season it first.
Treated, Painted or Manufactured Wood
Never burn pressure-treated, painted or stained wood, plywood or particle board, the EPA warns.
Old CCA-treated lumber, common in decks built before 2004, contains arsenic. If you’re unsure about salvaged wood, a quick arsenic test kit can check it.
Driftwood
Salt in ocean driftwood can form toxic compounds when burned, and it corrodes stoves and chimneys. Leave it on the beach.
Unsplit Logs
Whole rounds dry slowly and burn poorly. Split them to about 3-6 inches across and cut them about 3 inches shorter than your firebox.
The splitting axe we’d reach for
The 36-inch Fiskars X27 splits big rounds with fewer swings, and it’s a good fit for taller users.
Pick the right wood for the job, season it well, and you’ll get more heat with less smoke all winter.
We recently purchased firewood locally, and received some wood that looked like cedar. The seller said it was “Hard Hat.” We use our wood for a indoor woodstove, and definitely want hardwood. We have never heard of Hard Hat. Does anyone know what he could be referring to?? Thanks.
Ive never heard of “hard hat” firewood.
What category is Walnut
Walnut is a hardwood.
Great info! I definitely learned a lot! I would put the jargon at the beginning but besides that, everything was well explained. Thanks again!
Terrific stuff and I thought I knew a lot I don’t but I do now
Is wattle firewood a suitable firewood for dovre fireplace unit?
Yes it is, you just want to make sure its seasoned properly.
I need to know, is it ok to burn in the large open fire place seasoned local red gum branches?
Yes! Red gum is a great firewood and can certainly be used in an open fire.
need more types of firewood!
We started off with a simple list, but I will look into expanding it!
Why not burn big logs in wood heater….like 8 inches. We get a hot fire going and then put big log on and it last 5 or 6 hours. I hope we are not doing wrong…
What are your thoughts about sweetgum?
Well firstly…good luck splitting it! It can be done, but it is a pain in the backside. You probably want a hydraulic splitter to do it… and then it burns very quickly. It also doesn’t store that great, tends to rot easily from what I have found.
Great information to know! Thanks for sharing with others.
Is lilac wood worth burning in a stove?
Depends what you mean by “worth burning”. If you have it lieing around because you have a lilac bush then yes it is worth burning. Although it does have to be seasoned for at least a couple of months. I wouldnt go chasing it as firewood though.