Outdoor Furnace: Firewood BTU Content by Tree Species
What is the BTU content of firewood?
A full cord of wood is a stacked wood pile that is four feet wide by four feet tall by 8 feet long - 4'x4'x8'. It is therefore 128 cubic feet but because of air space between pieces, the actual amount of solid wood may be only 70-90 cubic feet. This depends on the size and shape of the pieces and how tightly they are stacked. Because of this variable consider the firewood BTU values and weight in these charts to be approximate.
The BTU in a cord of firewood is usually close to the same per pound between species. One pound of dense hardwood will have about the same amount of energy as one pound of light softwood. The difference in energy content is in the woods density. A cord of the more dense wood will have more energy than a cord of less dense softwood.
Amount of Heat Energy In a Firewood Cord
FIREWOOD BTU OF WESTERN HARDWOOD SPECIES
| Species | Million BTU's per Cord | Pounds Per Cord Green |
Pounds Per Cord Dry |
|---|---|---|---|
| Live Oak | 36.6 | 7870 | 4840 |
| Eucalyptus | 34.5 | 7320 | 4560 |
| Manzanita | 32.0 | ||
| Pacific Madrone | 30.9 | 6520 | 4086 |
| Dogwood | 30.4 | 6520 | 4025 |
| Oregon White Oak | 28.0 | 6290 | 3710 |
| Tanoak | 27.5 | 6070 | 3650 |
| California Black Oak | 27.4 | 5725 | 3625 |
| Pepperwood (Myrtle) | 26.1 | 5730 | 3450 |
| Chinquapin | 24.7 | 4720 | 3450 |
| Bigleaf Maple | 22.7 | 4940 | 3000 |
| Red Alder | 19.5 | 4100 | 2600 |
| Quaking Aspen | 18.0 | 3880 | 2400 |
| Cottonwood | 16.8 | 3475 | 2225 |
FIREWOOD BTU OF WESTERN SOFTWOOD SPECIES
| Species | Million BTU’s per Cord | Pounds Per Cord Green |
Pounds Per Cord Dry |
|---|---|---|---|
| Douglas Fir | 26.5 | 5050 | 3075 |
| Western Juniper | 26.4 | 5410 | 3050 |
| Western Hemlock | 24.4 | 5730 | 2830 |
| Port Orford Cedar | 23.4 | 4370 | 2700 |
| Lodgepole Pine | 22.3 | 4270 | 2580 |
| Ponderosa Pine | 21.7 | 4270 | 2520 |
| Jeffery Pine | 21.7 | 4270 | 2520 |
| Sitka Spruce | 21.7 | 4100 | 2520 |
| White Fir | 21.1 | 3190 | 2400 |
| Red Fir | 20.6 | 4040 | 2400 |
| Incense Cedar | 20.1 | 3880 | 2350 |
| Coast Redwood | 20.1 | 4040 | 2330 |
| Grand Fir | 20.1 | 3880 | 2330 |
| Sugar Pine | 19.6 | 3820 | 2270 |
| Western White Pine | |||
| Sequoia Redwood |
FIREWOOD BTU OF EASTERN HARDWOOD SPECIES
Inconsistency between charts may exist due to different laboratory variables
| Species | Million BTU’s per Cord | Pounds Per Cord Dry |
|---|---|---|
| Osage Orange | 32.9 | 4728 |
| Shagbark Hickory | 27.7 | 4327 |
| Eastern Hornbeam | 27.1 | 4016 |
| Black Birch | 26.8 | 3890 |
| Black Locust | 26.8 | 3890 |
| Blue Beech | 26.8 | 3890 |
| Ironwood | 26.8 | 3890 |
| Bitternut Hickory | 26.5 | 3832 |
| Honey Locust | 26.5 | 4100 |
| Apple | 25.8 | 3712 |
| Mulberry | 25.7 | 4012 |
| Beech | 24.0 | 3757 |
| Northern Red Oak | 24.0 | 3757 |
| Sugar Maple | 24.0 | 3757 |
| White Oak | 24.0 | 3757 |
| White Ash | 23.6 | 3689 |
| Yellow Birch | 21.8 | 3150 |
| Red Elm | 21.6 | 3112 |
| Hackberry | 20.8 | 3247 |
| Kentucky Coffeetree | 20.8 | 3247 |
| Gray Birch | 20.3 | 3179 |
| Paper Birch | 20.3 | 3179 |
| White Birch | 20.2 | 3192 |
| Black Walnut | 20.0 | 3120 |
| Cherry | 20.0 | 3120 |
| Green Ash | 19.9 | 2880 |
| Black Cherry | 19.5 | 2880 |
| American Elm | 19.5 | 3052 |
| White Elm | 19.5 | 3052 |
| Sycamore | 19.1 | 2992 |
| Black Ash | 18.7 | 2924 |
| Red Maple (Soft Maple) | 18.1 | 2900 |
| Boxelder | 17.9 | 2797 |
| Catalpa | 15.9 | 2482 |
| Aspen | 14.7 | 2295 |
| Butternut | 14.5 | 2100 |
| Willow | 14.3 | 2236 |
| Cottonwood | 13.5 | 2108 |
| American Basswood | 13.5 | 2108 |
FIREWOOD BTU OF EASTERN SOFTWOOD SPECIES
Inconsistency between charts may exist due to different laboratory variables
| Species | Million BTU’s per Cord | Pounds Per Cord Dry |
|---|---|---|
| Rocky Mountain Juniper | 21.6 | 3112 |
| Tamarack | 20.8 | 3247 |
| Jack Pine | 17.1 | 2669 |
| Norway Pine | 17.1 | 2669 |
| Pitch Pine | 17.1 | 2669 |
| Hemlock | 15.9 | 2482 |
| Black Spruce | 15.9 | 2482 |
| Eastern White Pine | 14.3 | 2236 |
| Balsam Fir | 14.3 | 2236 |
| Eastern White Cedar | 12.2 | 1913 |
| Eastern Red Cedar |
These firewood BTU ratings charts compare the heat energy content of common firewood types along with both green and dry weight per firewood cord. These charts were compiled from various sources so some comparisons between species may conflict some due to variables in laboratory variables of how much actual solid wood is in a cord.
Source: Wood Forest Industries
