Extension ServiceIs my maple firewood safe to burn?
Last year, a friend dropped off a pile of split maple, which was mostly made up of cut limbs from branches, to use as firewood. It took me longer than I would have liked to get it moved, stacked and covered. When I did, I noticed moss on many of the pieces, and some pieces had a bit of fungus on them, so I threw them out.
I’m ready to burn the wood in my woodstove and expected it would still be on the green side. However, its color has changed and seems as though it could be diseased.
Is it safe to burn? If not, can it be turned into compost?
Although the fungus may not look like it’s on the wood, it’s best to assume it could be.
Your question about burning is best answered by a public health professional.
That said, maple in Oregon could be infected by a new fungus and it’s not recommended to move wood with the fungus into the house. It might be best to compost.
