Best Firewood for Fireplaces

Pillar guide · 6 min read

The best firewood for an indoor fireplace is well-seasoned hardwood — oak, hickory, sugar maple, or ash — at under 20% moisture. Hardwood burns hot and long; the seasoning is what keeps your chimney clean and your fire bright. Avoid pine, fir, and any wet wood for indoor use.

Top picks ranked by heat and burn time

Seasoning is more important than species

A poorly-seasoned oak fire is worse than a well-seasoned ash fire. Moisture content under 20% is the single most important fireplace metric — wet wood wastes heat boiling off water, produces excess smoke, and lays down creosote in your chimney that becomes a fire hazard.

Either buy from a supplier with a strong "seasoning praised" track record in their reviews, buy kiln-dried, or buy ahead and season the wood yourself for 12+ months.

What to avoid

• Softwoods (pine, fir, cedar, spruce) as primary fuel — they're fine for kindling but produce more creosote and burn fast.
• "Green" or freshly cut wood — 12+ months of seasoning is non-negotiable for indoor use.
• Painted, stained, or treated lumber — releases toxic fumes when burned.
• Driftwood — salt content corrodes chimneys and creates corrosive smoke.
• Wood that's been sitting on the ground — rotted wood produces less heat and more smoke.

Common questions