Burning damp firewood

**Leroy_Riding** · 24th April 2014, 07:38 AM

So I am about to head off camping this weekend, and my pile of firewood down the back yard has been slowly deminishing over the last 3 years
(started with two massive gumtree's one cut down to make way for my parents house renos, the other the neighbours poisened as it was dropping leaves in there pool [still ****ed off about that])
I have 4 massive logs about 2.5feet wide and 4 meters long left that are fine, nice and dryish no issues with them.

the issue is all the smaller stuff i cut up with the chain saw many moons ago and stacked neatly has sunk about 2 logs deep into the ground over the years and now that I am down to the last of the pile the wood is termite and witchedy grub infested and damp, now not wanting to waste this wood I have pulled out what i needed for the weekend and trimmed the wood down (by that I mean used the axes to slice the wet soggy sides of leaving me damp but mostly dry wood)

I alos have some dry wood that was stacked in another place to get my fire going with, but whats the best way to burn wet/damp wood? ive never had to use it before. asuming just get the fire cranking on the dry stuff and then add the wet logs?

all the logs Im talking about are around 2feet long and 8-10" in diameter

Thanks
Leroy

**loanrangie** · 24th April 2014, 12:09 PM

You could stack the wet wood around the fire so that it dries out or mix a few bits in with the dry when its roaring. I sit damp bits on top of my coonara at home to dry before burning.

**Tank** · 24th April 2014, 06:39 PM

You're not burning the poisoned wood are you, could be fatal if you breathe fumes or cook over flames or hot coals, some poisons last for decades, regards Frank

**Blknight.aus** · 24th April 2014, 08:43 PM

grab a good 13mm drill bit (or bigger) or auger and bore half a dozen holes through it once the fires going put the logs in with the holes pointed outwared at a 45 degree angle if you put them straight onto the coal bed or vertically if you stack them clear of the coals.

it also gives away the condition of your wood.

you can also use them by boring a T shape into them then lighting them from the inside out with a fire lighter but you need to drill those at nearer to inch, inch and a half.

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**Landy Smurf** · 25th April 2014, 06:56 AM

If it is a decent enough fire just whack them on they will burn.

**SiddersC** · 26th April 2014, 02:48 PM

Chuck it on an established fire

Sit downwind, they will smoke like hell

**Leroy_Riding** · 28th April 2014, 07:57 AM

Thanks for the replies.
Ive burnt the wood fromt he tree that was poisened before without any issues (didnt know I would have any tbh or I woudlnt have) this time allt he wood was from the tree that was removed for the house extention.

I figured the roaring fire and toss them in would work best, was just low on dry wood to get it going in the first place. turned out that after splitting the logs up the inside was rather dry anyway just the outside inch or two was wet so once split and dry side down they went up fine

thanks for all the input.

Leroy

**donh54** · 21st July 2014, 07:23 PM

Originally Posted by Tank

You're not burning the poisoned wood are you, could be fatal if you breathe fumes or cook over flames or hot coals, some poisons last for decades, regards Frank

Not a real issue for an open fire, but definitely avoid poisoned wood for cooking or heating a closed space. A family near here a few years ago used some tordoned timber to smoke some fish. All were hospitalised, two nearly died

**Homestar** · 11th August 2014, 07:53 PM

Anything burns when it's hot enough. As suggested, stack it around the fire and dry it out a bit before burning it.

When camping in the Wombat State Forest here during Winter, all you have to burn is damp wood. Doesn't stop us going camping though, even when it's minus 7.

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