Redwood Firewood

Before anyone comes at me, no, I'm not telling you to go cut down old-growth redwoods. Coast redwood firewood comes from salvage, storm damage, and milling scraps along the Northern California coast. It's limited availability for a reason, and that's fine. But if some falls in your lap, here's what to expect.

Redwood puts out 15 million BTU per cord with a dry weight of 2,814 lbs. That's actually a bit heavier than you'd think for a softwood, but the heat output is still on the lower end. It's not going to replace your hardwoods for serious heating. The good news, low smoke, few sparks. That's unusual for a softwood and makes it one of the better options for open fireplaces and fire pits.

Splitting redwood is dead simple. The grain is straight and the wood practically wants to come apart. Nice and clean, no fighting with knots or twisted fibers. Plus it smells fantastic, that warm, sweet cedar-like fragrance. People use it for smoking meat and cooking for good reason.

You need 6 to 12 months of firewood seasoning for redwood. It dries pretty well given the straight, porous grain. Just keep it covered on top and let the air circulate. No surprises here.

Redwood is a campfire and fire pit wood at heart, pleasant fragrance, low sparks, easy to handle. It's not a primary heating species and the limited supply means you probably won't have enough to try anyway. Enjoy it for what it is: a nice evening burn. Similar vibes to Western Red Cedar firewood but slightly more heat per cord.