Prevent Pest Infestations In Communities By Buying Local Firewood

The demand for firewood increases when temperatures drop in Southern California.  Fireplace chimneys and campfires puff that familiar and reminiscent smell of burning pine or oak firewood.  But the act of buying or gathering firewood to warm your homes or cold hands could be doing more harm than good.

Bringing firewood from more than 50 miles from where you plan to store it can introduce new invasive pests to your community. These non-native forest insects, like emerald ash borer and red bay ambrosia beetle, can spread rapidly by inhabiting firewood logs and being transported to communities previously unexposed to the destructive pests. Damage can occur to community trees and structures.

Consumers can unknowingly bring new pests to a community since invasive insects and diseases can remain hidden underneath the layers of wood. Even firewood that appears healthy can harbor tiny insect eggs or microscopic fungal spores that will start a new infestation of forest pests. Buying firewood from providers up to 50 miles away is an effective solution.

Don’t Move Firewood, a non-profit organization, has started a campaign to stop the spread of costly pests and to save community trees. The organization encourages consumers to buy locally harvested firewood and to communicate the message to friends and neighbors.

Using a fireplace as a primary heat source for a household is a great way to conserve fossil fuel and natural gas resources. But if the firewood used is not from a local forest, you put the community and your property at risk of costly damage and decreased property value.

Here are some local firewood providers in San Diego County, Riverside County, & Orange County that sell locally harvested firewood. Before purchasing, ask which types of firewood are from the area to prevent firewood moving.

San Diego County:

Olson Firewood
15243 Highland Valley Road
Escondido, CA 92025
760-480-9901

Riverside County:

Boucher Tree Care
6840 Akderpoint Court
Riverside, CA 92506
951-784-6296

Orange County:

Woodhill Firewood
17001 Bake Parkway
Irvine, CA 92618
949-837-9663