The state of North Carolina has multiple large regions quarantined due to the presence of damaging forest pests. Taking firewood out of any quarantined area or county, and bringing it into a non-quarantined county, is prohibited. North Carolina also prohibits the movement of firewood from out-of-state quarantined areas into North Carolina. The North Carolina Forest Service advises that no matter where you are in the state, it is best to use firewood harvested under 50 miles from where you will burn it.
Forest pests that spread by hitchhiking in or on contaminated firewood kill thousands of trees in North Carolina and the neighboring states each year. Residents and visitors can help contain these pests by following a few rules of thumb and checking out public and private campsite policies for firewood:
- National Park campground facilities (Great Smoky Mountain National Park & Blue Ridge Parkway) require state or federal certified heat-treated firewood in their campsites.
- NC State Parks and National Forest Campgrounds urge campers to acquire firewood locally. Some campgrounds may allow the collection of dead and downed trees from around the campground, call or research ahead of time to see if this is permitted.
- Private campgrounds may have their own firewood use rules. Remember to check out the individual campsite policies before heading there.
- Burn firewood for home or cabin heating within a 50-mile radius of its origin.
- Find local and certified heat-treated firewood vendors at FirewoodScout.org.
This summary is accurate to the best of DMF staff abilities as of 2 June 2021.
North Carolina Web Resources
General Information
- Use Local Firewood, NC Forest Service page
- US Forest Service Southern Region Firewood Information
- Forest Invasives Map, NC Forest Service
- North Carolina Plant Protection Regulation Summary
- North Carolina State University, Firewood Summary Blog
- The Nature Conservancy’s Great Smoky Mountains Information
- North Carolina Forest Service Forest Health Highlight- 2021 Volume
- North Carolina Department of Agriculture, Plant Pest Quarantine Information and Quarantine Map Tool
Pest Specific Pages
- Common Forest Insect Pests, NC Forest Service
- Common Forest Diseases, NC Forest Service
- Emerald Ash Borer FAQ, NC Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services
- Imported Fire Ant Information and Maps, North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
- Imported Fire Ant information and Map archives, USDA APHIS Information page
- Gypsy Moth Quarantine, North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
- Laurel Wilt information, NC Forest Service
- Thousand Cankers of Walnut page, NC Forest Service
Recent News coverage on North Carolina and Forest Pests
- Spotted lanternfly and longhorned beetle too close to North Carolina– May 2021
- Spotted Lanternfly May hitch ride to North Carolina on Christmas Trees– December 2020
- Spotted Lanternfly Dangerous for North Carolina– March 2021
- Lawmakers advance move to quarantine areas infested by Asian longhorned Beetles in South Carolina March 2021
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