Which Wood Is Safe to Burn? A Guide to Keeping Your Fire Clean and Healthy

If you’ve ever been tempted to throw in old offcuts from a DIY project or scraps of timber from the shed, it’s worth taking a moment to make sure you’re not releasing harmful fumes into your home or the environment.

Here’s how to know which wood is safe to burn, and what to avoid.

🔥 The Golden Rule: Only Burn Clean, Dry Wood

The best fires start with seasoned or kiln-dried hardwood. This type of wood burns hot and clean, producing little smoke and minimal soot - perfect for your stove, chimney, and the environment.

At Meon Valley Logs, all our logs are fully seasoned and have low moisture content. That means:

✅ Easier lighting

✅ More heat

✅ Less smoke

✅ Longer-lasting fires

Whether you’re using a wood burner, open fireplace, or outdoor chiminea, our hardwood logs are always the safest and most efficient choice.

🪵 Safe Woods to Burn

Most hardwoods and softwoods are safe, as long as they’re untreated and dry.

Safe hardwoods include:

• Ash – Burns hot and evenly; one of the best firewoods you can get.

• Beech – Steady, long-lasting flame with great heat output.

• Oak – Dense, slow-burning, perfect for overnight fires.

• Birch – Burns quickly with a bright, cheerful flame (great for getting a fire started).

Safe softwoods include:

Pine, spruce, and fir – Ideal for kindling or short, bright fires. Just make sure they’re dry, as softwood can spit when damp.

All these woods are naturally clean and safe to burn when untreated, making them ideal for home heating.

⚠️ Woods to Avoid

It might be tempting to use up scraps from your garage or leftover building materials, but burning the wrong kind of wood can be dangerous.

Here’s what not to burn:

🚫 Painted or Treated Wood

Never burn anything that’s been painted, varnished, or pressure-treated. These coatings often contain chemicals that release toxic fumes when burned, including formaldehyde and heavy metals.

This includes:

• Old skirting boards or doors

• Furniture offcuts

• Fence panels or decking wood

• MDF, chipboard, or plywood

These materials can give off fumes that are harmful to breathe and can damage your stove or chimney.

🚫 Wet or Green Wood

Freshly cut (or “green”) wood still contains a lot of sap and moisture. When burned, it creates thick smoke, tars up your chimney, and gives off very little heat.

That’s why buying properly seasoned or kiln-dried logs matters - they burn cleaner, safer, and hotter.

Even if your logs get damp in the rain, don’t worry, they’ll still burn well once surface moisture evaporates.

🚫 Driftwood or Pallets

Driftwood may look rustic, but it’s full of salt. When burned, it can corrode metal parts in your stove and release harmful compounds into the air.

Wooden pallets can be tricky too. Some are untreated and safe to use, but others are chemically treated for shipping - and it’s not always clear which is which. Unless you’re absolutely sure, it’s best to avoid burning them.

🌿 Why It Matters

Burning clean, untreated wood doesn’t just protect your health, it also protects your stove, flue and the environment.

• Using safe firewood helps:

• Reduce smoke and soot buildup

• Keep your glass and flue clean

• Improve air quality around your home

• Lower maintenance costs and extend the life of your stove

🔥 The Safe (and Easy) Option

If you want to enjoy your fire without worry, stick with kiln-dried hardwood logs from a trusted local supplier.

At Meon Valley Logs, our wood is sustainably sourced, kiln-dried, and delivered ready to burn so you can stay warm and safe all winter long.

✅ Jumbo Bag £145

✅ Cubic Metre Bag £125

✅ Kindling 4 for £20

🚚 Free local delivery across the Meon Valley

Burn clean. Burn dry. Burn safe.

Order your firewood today from meonvalleylogs.co.uk

and enjoy a fire that’s warm, efficient, and worry-free.

Order now and get your logs delivered to your door

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Barn Stored Seasoned Logs

£125.00

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