Two notes came in recently, bringing about another episode of your favorite advice column...
Dear Don't Move Firewood;
I have quite a pile of treated lumber from a fence that we took down. This is not cut/split wood... is it safe to bring to a campsite and use as firewood?
Michael T, Concerned Firewood User.
Dear Michael;
I shuddered a little when I saw the words "treated lumber" and "firewood" in the same paragraph. Without knowing exactly what the treatment of your lumber is, I can tell you that most lumber treatments use really toxic chemicals, including formaldehyde and arsenic. You want NOTHING to do with burning that stuff, under any circumstances. Pest risk aside, this is not wood for firewood.
Now, perhaps when you wrote "treated lumber" you actually meant polyurethane stain, or something else more harmless. In that case, you probably won't poison yourself with toxic gases, but it still is not a great idea to burn it. Further, many regulations and laws don't have exemptions for this kind of wood re-use, so you could still be asked to give up the wood upon arriving at your destination, or even get a hefty fine. It just isn't worth the risk.
Last but not least, this wood could still harbor pests. For instance, Gypsy moth egg cases are often found on things like fence posts- even treated wood. That's not something you want to spread.
I'm glad that you asked the question. The best thing to do is to either dispose of it without burning (if it is pressure treated or similar) or use it on site.
Dear Don't Move Firewood;
I think the problem really is that firewood is so expensive to buy at camping locations. It is ridiculous to spend $6 on one campfire when you can simple bring a bit of wood from home. If you could address this problem, you would find a solution.
Shawna W., Concerned Firewood User
Dear Shawna;
I totally agree. The price of wood is a big problem when it comes to encouraging best firewood practices. I try to take solace in the fact that when there are more buyers, there is room for more competition in the market, and prices will decrease. So prices should go down with time as more people buy firewood near where they will burn it. And in many areas, you can collect wood on site for free, anyway. Please don't let the price of wood keep you from starting a million dollar bug problem! And thanks for telling us what you are thinking about.
