• Some woods are better for burning than others.fireplace image by Michael Shake from Fotolia.com
  
  If you use a fireplace as a heat source, then you are aware that some woods make better fuel than others. It is not just a matter of how many BTUs of heat a given amount of wood can produce, but also how "friendly" it is as a fuel---how easy it is to light, how much smoke it makes, even how it smells when it burns. Rating charts vary, depending on the individual load of wood that is tested, but there are general guidelines.
  
  

Ash

• Ash is a hardwood that burns very hot, providing a good BTU output with a minimum of smoke or odor. As a general rule, it is easy to burn, but all of these characteristics vary slightly with the variety. White ash tends to be the best, with green ash (sometimes mixed with white ash) and black ash being slightly less friendly.
  
  

Oak

• Oak is also a hardwood, and one of the hotter-burning firewoods available. It can be difficult to get it to burn, but it generates very little smoke and has an acceptable odor. It too comes in a variety of species, with white oak and gamble oak generally providing the most heat. Red oak is one of the less-efficient varieties, but the difference is not a large one.
  
  

Maple

• A less-popular hardwood fuel is maple. Maple is not an easy wood to burn, although it provides a great deal of heat without much smoke or odor. Silver maple is the poorest source of heat and other maples such as sugar maple are the best but, if you have a choice, you will probably be happier with another choice.
  
  

Pine

• Pine may be one of the most plentiful woods around, but it could be one of the worst choices if you are serious about using your fireplace as a heating source. It is a softwood, which means it is a lighter wood and does not provide as much heat as the hardwoods. If you burn wood infrequently, however, pine can be a good choice. It is mildly smoky but smells good and burns well. Lodgepole pine and yellow pine are some of the better choices.
  
  

Spruce

• Spruce is another softwood with a low BTU rating. Although it does not have a strong odor, it is usually a poor choice because it tends to produce more smoke, a lot of sparks and does not put out much heat.
  
  

Fir

• Fir is one of the better choices if you must burn softwood. Although it generates more smoke and sparks than many other woods, it is easy to burn and has a slight fragrance. Douglas fir is the best choice among the firs, because it burns somewhat hotter.