• The different types of fire wood.wood image by Henryk Olszewski from Fotolia.com
  
  There are different reasons for using fire wood. You can use it for campfires, cooking in wood-burning stoves, fireplace for heat, and even cooking on a grill for flavor. Some types of fire wood are used to start fires as they are quick-burning woods; some are used to keep fires going and put out heat; and some are used to give food flavor. When choosing a fire wood for a wood-burning stove, make sure it is cut into a size that will fit.
  
  

Seasoned Fire Wood

• Seasoned fire wood is wood that has been left to dry for a long period of time. It is usually cut the year before and stacked in a dry place out of the weather. Seasoned wood can be any type of wood.
  
  

Hardwood

• Hardwood is hard to get ignited. It is considered the best fire wood for its intense heat. It is used for camp fires and wood-burning stoves. Hardwood includes ash, red oak, white oak, birch, hickory, hard maple, dogwood, maple, cherry, almond and walnut.
  
  

Softwood

• Softwood burns fast and is easy to ignite. It is usually used to start a fire. Softwood also gives off less heat than other woods. Softwood includes yellow pine, spruce, fir, cypress and red cedar.
  
  

Alder

• Alder gives off little heat and burns quickly. It is often used as a fire starter.
  
  

Almond

• Almond is a hardwood and puts out high heat.
  
  

Birch

• Birch gives off good heat but burns very quickly.
  
  

Cedar

• Cedar gives off good heat and burns steady without high flames. This wood gives off a nice aroma when burned. It is mostly used to cook fish and pork.
  
  

Hickory

• Hickory is a hardwood that gives off high heat. Hickory is also used to cook with. It gives off a bacon flavor to food.
  
  

Oak

• Oak is usually the number-one choice in fire wood if it is seasoned for at least two years. Oak is very slow burning and puts out high heat.
  
  

Pine

• Pine burns well and put off heat but cracks and pops while it burns.
  
  

Spruce

• Spruce burns quickly and creates sparks while burning. It should be used outside or in a closed, vented wood-burning stove.
  
  

Walnut

• Walnut puts out high heat and a heavy amount of smoke. Walnut is also used to give a sweet flavor to red meats. It is not recommended for inside use unless in a closed vented wood stove because the high amount of smoke it puts off.