Best wood for your fire this Winter

It might only be a relatively short winter we experience while living in the Mediterranean but there will be a time when its time to light our salamanders, stoves and open fires to keep our houses warm and cosy.

But we are often misguided on what type of ‘Lena’ to buy. There are many varieties of wood in various shapes and forms and at differing prices per tonne, but you might find that some wood simply creates plenty of roar, spit and flame but offers minimal heat! Yet others take an eternity to get going, but once they do, offer enough warmth to last the whole night through.

So what should we look for?

Seasoned firewood is always the best choice. It is drier, will burn at a higher temperature for a longer time and gives real value for money. Wet, green wood burns slowly and weakly and ends up costing you more money, so cutting down trees in your garden now with a view to them providing winter warmth, will not work. Seasoned wood has been left in storage and most likely cut a year prior to its use.

As a golden rule the harder the wood you use, the better it will burn. Hard wood generates more heat and lasts longer - even the glowing embers will retain their heat and in some cases, one or two logs will last a full evening. Soft woods will burn quicker and often have a resin that will create a tar which can cause problems in the flue, so are best avoided. So, here is the lowdown from our resident lumberjack.

Acacia

Acacia provides a reasonable flame if it’s dried well, but it tends to burn too quickly and does not offer a great heat.

Almond

Will produce a very hot, lasting fire that’s sweetly scented and remarkably produces very little ash and embers.

Azinho/Oak

This is a very popular hard wood that’s used throughout Iberia, perfect for slow burning and a high heat capacity, not ideal to get going from the start however.

Eucalyptus

It will have to be well seasoned, because of its gum and oil content, but will then produce a very high, scented heat. It is prone to spitting, so you will need a guard as any flammable object within its trajectory is prone to catch light.

Medronho/Arbutus

Medronho is fantastic for firewood as it’s hard, scented and generates such a high heat with minimal small logs, so perfect for those who are restricted in log size for their burner.

Olive

It’s a shame that olive trees are becoming decimated by the Xilella bacterium, and to prevent the destruction many are being burnt. It’s ideal for our fires as again it’s a very hard wood and will last through the night and provide plenty of heat.

Pine

Pine is very resinous wood and not ideal at all - even after drying. It will cause problems in the flue and you will be forever cleaning the glass on your salamander.

Sobro/Cork Oak

These trees are protected, but once they have died they can sometimes find them sold as firewood. Cork is obviously a lighter material that will burn quickly and creates plenty of flames. Often sold mixed with olive or oak.