Buy it where you are going to burn it

[Mark Sedenquist]

I had never thought of firewood as being vectors for disease and/or insect infestations. But, apparently this is a real concern.

Here is a site that lists firewood vendors by zip code, thus allowing would-be purchasers of food wood to purchase locally-produced firewood.

Mark

[BillyGr]

Food Wood? ;)

But, yes, this has been an issue for a number of years over here in NY and surrounding areas as they have had limits such as no transporting it more than 50 miles unless it is treated like the kiln-dried stuff you see in stores.

[Mark Sedenquist]

Did I write "food wood" someplace?

Somehow, I wasn't aware of this issue -- makes sense that it could be a vector. Makes me wonder where our firewood comes from -- there's not much that could be found within 50 miles of Las Vegas.

Mark

[UKCraig]

I remember working for a company based in Brookings SD twenty years ago. We used to have to spend a fortune ($100 per pallet IIRC) on specially heat treated non-coniferous timber (lumber?) for the pallets that the goods were sent over to the UK on as the usual pallet grade timber was too risky to be allowed in to Europe. Same reason as stated here so it is a real thing. It literally cost more for those pallets than the cost of shipping the container door to door!

Funny thing was we just used to burn the pallets as soon as we'd unloaded the container. On one particular winter day, when there had been some sort of freeze up in Montreal or New York (cannot remember which one would freeze but we clearly sent the containers to the wrong one that time...), we had three containers come in to the yard one after the other. By the end of the day we'd decanted them, sorted the stock, shelved it and just had the pallets to dispose of before we were able to go home. Almost burned the entire place to the ground that day... somewhere I have a photograph of the three fire appliances that arrived to make sure we didn't!!

[Midwest Michael]

I'm pretty surprised you weren't aware of the restrictions on moving firewood, especially knowing how you pay attention to wildfires in the west. Firewood is one of the top ways tree killing pests like the pine beetle can move. Emerald Ash Borer and Dutch Elm Disease are two other big ones that transported firewood has been a big factor.

I'd presume that most of the firewood sold around Las Vegas is heat treated (kiln dried) which is generally required for commercial firewood, especially if it's sold across state lines.

[NowthatIamretired]

I was just in Smokey Mountain National Park and they had signs up do not bring your own firewood into the park.

[Lifemagician]

The first time I visited a friend in Idaho the place was in a thick pine forest. A couple of years later I returned and all the trees were dead. It was an unreal landscape - all the way to the top of the mountains And yes on both occasions there were relevant signs in many places.

These are the same reasons why all items made from any type of wood are inspected at the border here, and either treated (at the owner's expense) or destroyed. I have even declared wooden picture frames, only to be told that they were not wood, just made to look like wood.

Yeah! I felt a bit stupid!

Lifey

[BillyGr]

Did I write "food wood" someplace?

Somehow, I wasn't aware of this issue -- makes sense that it could be a vector. Makes me wonder where our firewood comes from -- there's not much that could be found within 50 miles of Las Vegas.

Mark

The second part of the first post "allowing would-be purchasers of food wood" ;)

Makes sense that as Michael posted you are getting the treated stuff (which most, if not all, of what you see sold in packages at stores is), though perhaps it wouldn't be much of an issue bringing it into areas where there is little natural wood, as even if there were things in it, they can't very well infect the non-existent local trees!