Is it OK to bring firewood in from another county or state?
In Mars Hill, the rural homes up Spring Creek and Gabriels Creek run on propane and wood, so a lot of real heating happens at the hearth — and that wood should come from Madison County, not a truck from out of the area. Long-distance firewood spreads the emerald ash borer and other pests; kiln-dried wood is the only kind cleared to travel.
Rural propane, wood heat, and a transient college crowd
Two things define heating around Mars Hill: rural valleys like Spring Creek and Gabriels Creek where propane and wood carry the load, and a university crowd that turns over every year. Between them there's a steady temptation to bring wood in from somewhere else — a student's home county, a cheaper source down the mountain. That's the move worth resisting, because a load from far off can carry beetle larvae and borer eggs into some of the colder, healthier forest we serve.
Keep it Madison-local
There's good seasoned hardwood right around here, so sourcing within about fifty miles — same-county when you can — is easy and keeps the woods intact. It also means the wood came off ground that already shares the local insects, so you're introducing nothing new.
The single exception is certified kiln-dried, heat-treated firewood, safe to move because the heat kills the hitchhikers. If you've already hauled wood in, burn through it this season rather than storing it by the house. Call (828) 545-0525 for help matching wood to a new stove or insert.
Fireplace help in Mars Hill
We install and service fireplaces throughout Mars Hill and the rest of Madison County — just 30 minutes north from our Asheville-area showroom.