Is it OK to bring firewood in from another county or state?
In Arden, the 1980s and '90s homes in Royal Pines and Skyland still have open masonry fireplaces that burn real cordwood — so sourcing matters. Buy firewood locally in Buncombe County rather than importing a load that could carry the emerald ash borer or spotted lanternfly into these stands; certified kiln-dried wood is the only kind safe to travel far.
Open masonry fireplaces still eat wood
A lot of Arden's established neighborhoods — Skyland, Royal Pines, Glenn Bridge — were built with open masonry fireplaces that pull heat out of the room and go through plenty of wood doing it. Many owners are converting them to sealed inserts that burn far less and actually heat, but the wood-burning crowd is still real here, and for them the sourcing rule is non-negotiable: a load hauled in from far off can carry eggs and larvae under the bark that emerge to kill oaks and ash you can see from the yard.
Buy Buncombe, or burn what you brought
There's abundant seasoned hardwood a short drive away in Buncombe County, so importing wood is all risk and no reward. Source within about fifty miles, same-county when you can, and you introduce no pest the local trees haven't already met.
Certified kiln-dried, heat-treated wood is the exception safe to move, because the process kills the hitchhikers. If you've already got a pile from out of the area, burn it promptly rather than letting it sit. And if a drafty open firebox has worn out its welcome, a sealed insert cuts your wood use sharply — call (828) 545-0525 to talk it through.
Fireplace help in Arden
We install and service fireplaces throughout Arden and the rest of Buncombe County — just 15 minutes south from our Asheville-area showroom.