The dog days of summer are finally starting to wind down, which means it’s time for Pumpkin Spice Lattes, football, and, best of all, fire pit season. Is there anything better than sitting in the crisp fall air, eating a delicious grilled meal, and enjoying a fire pit’s crackling warmth? While buying a fire pit and throwing in some wood may seem easy enough, there are certain types of wood to use to help you enjoy the warmth for longer and with less smoke. Read on to find out the best types of firewood available in Oklahoma and which you should avoid.

Best Firewood for Fire Pits

In Oklahoma, it’s essential only to buy native firewood chopped within 50 miles of your location. This helps prevent invasive bugs and diseases that can kill the trees in your neighborhood. Natively grown trees have already built up a resistance to those bugs and are therefore less likely to bring in invasive species that kill your other plants.

When choosing the type of wood for your fire pit, keep in mind that hardwoods like oak will provide longer-lasting warmth over softer woods like pine or cedar. While the terms hardwood and softwood seem to talk about the wood’s hardness, the terms mean the differentiation between deciduous and conifer trees. 

Softwoods are generally not great choices for firewood because of the nature of how they burn. Because they are high-moisture, they tend to burn faster, leading to more tending. Additionally, they can spark as they burn, causing fire danger when used in an open flame situation like when used in fire pits.

Lucky for you, Oklahoma has plenty of native oak, hickory, and ash trees to keep you warm on chilly fall nights. When you are purchasing firewood, ask about the type of wood and where it was chopped. If the dealer cannot tell you, it may be best to find another option.

How to Prepare and Store Firewood

Once you have your wood, you will need to set it aside to “season” or dry it before use. Typically, wood needs to dry for at least a couple of months before use. Freshly chopped wood uses all its energy to burn the moisture first, leading to more smoke and less heat. An easy way to tell if the wood is ready to burn is to inspect it visually. Dry wood will have more cracks, looks more grayish in color, and the bark is not firmly attached to the rest of the log.

The best way to season your firewood is to air dry it outside. You will want to choose a place in your yard that is not too close to your house to attract insects indoors, yet not too far away to where you might curse yourself on a colder night. If you have a storage shed in your yard, it may be useful to place the wood under the eave to help protect it from rain and dry faster. If no appropriate shelter is available, you can also cover the wood with a plastic sheet when rain is in the forecast.

You will want to store the wood off the ground if possible. You can buy a standard firewood rack or a more modern firewood hoop to store your firewood as it dries. By keeping the wood off the ground, you will allow the air to circulate underneath to help the wood season faster.

In Our O-Piñon

When you are ready to get the fire going, we recommend adding a piece of piñon wood to the fire. Piñon not only smells great but also is a natural mosquito repellent. Start your fire with dry kindling. Once the kindling is well-lit, add a piece of piñon before you add your hardwood of choice. The piñon will continue to smoke and keep away bugs as the fire catches and burns.

If you have small children, pets, or people who have trouble with smoke due to health reasons, you may also consider a chiminea. Traditionally used as an indoor fireplace and stove, chimineas have found popularity as an alternative to fire pits. Since the fire is contained, the chiminea is a safer solution for families with smaller children who may not understand the danger of getting too close to a fire pit. Additionally, as the chimney design pushes the smoke upwards, those with smoke sensitivities will have an easier time enjoying the fire. 

The only downside to a chiminea is that the fire is not available around the full 360. Thus, if your family is mostly composed of adults, you may want to stick with a fire pit so everyone can enjoy it. 

Whether you need fresh, local firewood or piñon, we have your firewood needs covered. We also have American-made fire pits and chimineas for you to spruce up your backyard. Stop by and let one of our team members help you find the perfect fire pit to keep you warm this fall!