Can You Burn Pine in a Fireplace? Heat, Sparks and Dryness
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Yes, you can burn pine. Pine is a normal firewood, and the Utah State University (USU) Extension firewood table lists four of them. What changes from one pine to the next is how much heat a cord holds and how many sparks it throws. Whether a pine log is dry matters more than the fact that it is pine.
Four pines next to red oak
All values are for a full cord (128 cubic feet, stacked), from USU Table 1. The last column is the heat of a cord of that wood divided by the 24.6 million BTU of a cord of red oak.
| Wood | Million BTU per cord | Dry weight (lb) | Sparks | Coals | Compared with red oak |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pinyon | 27.1 | 3,000 | Many | not listed | 1.10 times as much heat |
| Pine, Lodgepole | 21.1 | 2,610 | Many | Fair | 0.86 times |
| Pine, Ponderosa | 16.2 | 2,336 | Many | Fair | 0.66 times |
| Pine, White | 15.9 | 2,250 | Moderate | Poor | 0.65 times |
| Oak, Red | 24.6 | 3,528 | Few | Excellent | baseline |
Pinyon is the surprise. It holds more heat per cord than red oak and ranks 6th by million BTU per cord among the species in the table that have a number. The other three pines hold less: lodgepole is the best of them at 21.1, and ponderosa and white pine hold about two thirds of what red oak does.
Sparks and open fireplaces
USU treats smoke, sparks and fragrance as the most important traits for an open fireplace, because a wood that pops and spits can throw embers out onto the room. In the table, pinyon, lodgepole and ponderosa pine are all rated "Many" for sparks, and white pine "Moderate". Red oak is rated "Few".
For a wood stove, USU points to coals: a wood that makes good coals keeps a fire going longer. Lodgepole and ponderosa pine are rated "Fair" for coals and white pine "Poor", against "Excellent" for red oak. In USU's terms, red oak is the better overnight wood.
The table does not rate smoke for lodgepole or white pine. Ponderosa is rated "Medium" for smoke and red oak "Low".
Is pine cheaper per unit of heat?
Not automatically. A cord of ponderosa holds 16.2 million BTU against 24.6 for red oak, so to be an equal buy it would have to cost about 66% of the oak price (16.2 ÷ 24.6). White pine would have to cost about 65%, lodgepole about 86%. Pinyon is the reverse: it could cost up to about 110% of red oak and still be even on heat.
Pine is lighter, which helps when you haul it. A dry cord of ponderosa weighs 2,336 lb against 3,528 lb for red oak. Compare real quotes with the price converter, and see the whole table in the BTU chart.
Dry wood is the real rule
The U.S. Department of Energy gives 20% moisture or less as the standard for firewood. Wet wood wastes heat boiling off its water, and the seasoning guide covers why green wood smokes more and builds creosote in a chimney. Green ponderosa weighs 3,600 lb per cord and 2,336 lb dry, so about 1,264 lb of water has to leave the wood.
The sources used for this page do not compare how much creosote pine makes against hardwood, so this page does not claim either way. What they do support is the dryness rule above, and it applies to pine and oak alike. Check wood with a moisture meter instead of guessing by species or by the calendar.
Quick answers
- Can I burn pine in a fireplace? Yes, if it is dry. Expect more sparks than from red oak, so watch an open fireplace.
- Is pine good for a wood stove? It burns, but lodgepole, ponderosa and white pine hold less heat per cord and make poorer coals than red oak in the USU table.
- Which pine gives the most heat? Pinyon, at 27.1 million BTU per cord, then lodgepole at 21.1.
- Is pine or oak better? Oak for heat per cord and coals. See the oak comparison.
Sources
- Utah State University Extension, Wood Heating, Table 1: million BTU, weight, sparks, smoke and coals by species.
- U.S. Department of Energy, Wood and Pellet Heating: 20% moisture standard.