Is it OK to burn storm-fall or dead trees from my own property?
In Asheville, yes — wood off your own lot is about the cleanest fuel you can burn, but two local realities shape it. Our long cold season holds nights in the 20s into early spring, and the original open masonry in so many Montford and North Asheville homes sends most of that heat straight up the flue. Season it right and burn it in something built to capture heat.
Your open masonry is the weak link
Most of the character homes in Montford and North Asheville have original open masonry fireboxes, and those are the weak link. An open hearth draws room air up the flue and returns very little heat — burn a whole winter of your own oak in one and you're mostly warming the sky. A correctly sized EPA wood insert or a freestanding stove changes the math, capturing 70 percent or more of that free wood's heat instead of losing it. South Asheville's newer builds usually have decorative prefab boxes that aren't rated for a steady cordwood diet either. Since we're headquartered right here at 629 Emma Rd, a firebox-and-flue look is a short trip before you commit a season to burning.
Seasoning in Asheville's damp air
The wood itself is only ready once it's dry. A tree that came down in a storm is still green inside, full of water, and green wood burns cool, smokes, and cakes the chimney with creosote. Buck it to length, split it, and stack it up off the ground with the top covered and the sides open to the breeze. Plan on six to twelve months, and at 2,134 feet with our mountain humidity, lean toward the longer end. A cheap moisture meter reading under 20 percent settles any argument about whether it's ready.
What stays out of the firebox
Two limits keep it safe. Burn only natural, untreated wood — never anything painted, stained, pressure-treated, or pulled off an old deck or fence, since those give off toxic fumes. Softwoods like pine season fast but throw more creosote, so they earn their keep as kindling, not as your main fuel. And because heavy home-cut wood builds creosote quickly, keep up the yearly sweep. Not sure your flue can take a full season of wood? Call (828) 545-0525.
Fireplace help in Asheville
We install and service fireplaces throughout Asheville and the rest of Buncombe County — we're headquartered right here.